Harts on the Fence
by 80sTVlover
Summary: Jonathan suffers a devastating loss and just wades through life until he meets Jennifer. Can she help him see that it's ok to love again?
1. Chapter 1

"Jennifer, please go with me. It's bad enough I have to go, don't make me go alone".

"Why do you have to go?"

"Because. When Josh filed for divorce, we agreed to mediate and do a "save the marriage" agreement where we actively try for 6 months. The judge agreed. Relationship counseling didn't work for us, and in order to satisfy the judge's agreement, I have to attend either personal counseling or a support group at least once a week for the next 12 weeks".

"So, why not personal counseling?"

"I would rather have my head packed in ice".

"Shannon, that's insane. Come on."

"Please, Jennifer? Look, you just moved here from New York to work at the Chronicle. You haven't been in L. A. that long, it's not like you are going to know anyone besides me there. And who knows, you might like it".

"A singles support group? Please."

"You might meet someone".

"I don't want to meet someone. I'm happy with my life the way it is".

"Jennifer, what can you possibly be happy about? If you aren't home, you are at the office. And if you aren't at the office, you are at home".

"I happen to enjoy my work, Shannon. Is that a crime?"

"No, but how well does your typewriter keep you warm at night?"

"What happens or doesn't happen in my bed is none of your business."

"I'm not suggesting anything. All I'm saying is that you can put up this façade and make everything think that everything is ok. But, at some point, you are going to realize that you are lonely. And when you get to the end of your life, do you want to be alone or do you want someone with you?"

"Ok, fine I'll go".

"Yay, I knew it would work".

"I'm only going to put an end to this insane conversation".

"I'll take whatever I can get. I'll pick you up at 7, dress casual. You're the best".

"You owe me, Shannon. I'm not kidding. I'm not just a reporter anymore, I'm your editor now. You better believe you are catching every rotten story that comes along!"

"Whatever you say, boss".

Shannon headed back to her desk and Jennifer put her head in her hands.

"What have I gotten myself into?!"

***Grant's Tavern***

Two men are playing pool and having a beer.

"So how you been Valentine? Haven't seen you in forever".

"Good, good. How about you?"

"I'm fine. You know me, Buffalo Bill always bounces back on his feet".

"Sorry to hear about you and Marilyn splitting up. That's got to be tough".  
"Ah, you win some you lose some. We had some good times but we weren't ever really right for each other. Listen, I was thinking of going somewhere tonight. I heard that you can meet a gorgeous woman at this great little dive bar out on Route 3. Want to come?"

"No thanks, I'm out of the bar scene. Been there done that".

He took his shot and sank several balls all at once.

"Look Valentine, I know I don't have very much room to talk. I mean, I've struck out in the love department too. But it's been 4 years since Pam died. You weren't at fault then, and you aren't at fault at now and in 10 years from now, it still won't be your fault what happened. The other driver was at fault, bottom line. You got to give yourself permission to move on, buddy."

"I promised Pam in the hospital there would never be another. If I move on, I'm breaking my promise to her and that's not fair".

"Do you honestly think she's up in heaven keeping score? She would want you to be happy. And what you are doing now ain't working for you."

"So what am I supposed to do, just throw myself at any available woman that walks by?"

"No. But maybe don't swat at all of the ones who throw themselves at you".

"Bill, I know you mean well, and I appreciate it. But it's complicated, and unless you've been there, you just don't get it".

"I know. But what I do get, is that you are miserable, man. I hate to see you like this".

Bill sank his last ball in the corner pocket.

"8 ball, side pocket".

He missed.

"You know, I'm happy with my life. In the 4 years since Pam died, I haven't just maintained Hart Industries' footprint in the business world, I've expanded it tenfold. I am very proud of my company and I am very happy with what has become of my efforts. I don't need anything else in life right now".

"Ok, I have just one last question for you. Who are you going to leave it to at the end of your life? No wife, no kids, no biological relatives. Who gets it?"

Valentine stepped up, and sank the 8 ball in the corner pocket, and won the game.

"I appreciate your concern Bill, but I'm fine. I'm healing in my own way, in my own time, and I'm not on anyone's time table. Now, thanks for the game, and the beer, but I'm going to head home".

"Jonathan, seriously, I'm just looking out for you".

"I know. I appreciate it. But really, I'm fine".

They shook hands.

"Great to see you, Bill. I'll talk to you soon".

He grabbed his jacket and headed out to the car.

As he drove home along the coastal highway, he thought about what his good friend had said.

He saw a sign up ahead and paid more attention to it than normal.

He thought about it the rest of the way home, and then tried to put it out of his mind.

He changed clothes and ate some dinner and was still thinking about it, so he decided to give it a chance.

He pulled up right on time, a few minutes before it was supposed to start.

The room was set up with several chairs in a circle. Behind that was another circle, and behind that was a third circle.

He walked in and took a nametag.

"Hi. Have you been here before?"

"No, I haven't".

"Ok, so newcomers are given a couple meetings to feel comfortable. Don't feel like you have to share tonight. At the end of every meeting, there's a homework assignment. Newcomers are exempt".

"Thank you".

He found a seat, kind of out of the way, where he wasn't very noticeable.

Before it started, he pulled out his wallet and opened it to her picture. He stared at it, talking to her inside his head the whole time.

' _Please don't be upset with me over this. I still love you and I always will, I'm just trying to find myself again'._

While he was staring at the picture in his wallet, a gorgeous brunette and her beautiful redhead friend walked in. They grabbed name tags and then selected a seat, closest to the door in case they decided to get up and leave.

"Welcome to Singles who Mingle. I'm Toya, I'll facilitate the meeting tonight."

Jennifer rolled her eyes at the name.

They spent the next two hours listening to people talk about how happy they are that they are single, and how it's working better for them than being in a relationship. Shannon was mad because they were bolstering Jennifer's point and not her own.

After the meeting was over, everyone stood up and put their chairs away.

Some people poured some coffee and mingled while others just left.

Jonathan had stacked several of the chairs and was walking out when he saw her.

For a moment, his heart stopped and he couldn't move. And then…she was gone. She had left the room before he got a chance to say anything to her.

He looked for her in the parking lot, but she was gone.

He headed home, wondering if he should go back.

***Jennifer***

Jennifer and Shannon pulled up to Jennifer's house.

"Thanks for going with me."

"You're welcome. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be".

"Does that mean I'm off the hook?"

"Don't push it".

"See you at work tomorrow".

"Thanks for the ride, see you tomorrow".

She walked inside the house and locked the door behind her.

As she got ready for bed, she couldn't stop thinking about the meeting and how she felt like she wanted to go again.

***Two days later***

Jonathan left work after his last meeting and drove out to the place he went to every Thursday.

He stopped and made his usual purchase and then continued on his way.

He arrived at his destination, and parked as close as possible.

He made his way to the usual spot and spent a few minutes cleaning and doing some caretaking.

Finally, he placed his purchase where it was supposed to go and sat down.

"Hi. I miss you. You were the only good thing in my life and I still can't believe you were taken from me. I suppose you were watching me play pool with Bill the other day. He always loved you. Guess you heard our conversation too, huh? Well, good. I meant every word angel. I miss you more than words can ever express. You were the first person I ever loved, and still, even though it's been 4 years, I still don't think I'll ever love anyone again. I know for a fact that I couldn't go through losing someone again, the way I lost you. To tell you the truth, I have no idea how I got through it last time. A lot has happened since you were taken from me. Can you believe USC finally won a football game this season? And the neighborhood near your house got a big upgrade. New sidewalks, a new bank. Sat in your car the other day. It's still the same, I haven't done anything to it. I guess everything is changing except me. I tried going to church, but I felt like everyone who saw us together there before, was just staring at me and judging me. Sometimes I watch the services on tv, sometimes I don't. I went to a singles support group last night. Didn't have the courage to say anything. I highly doubt anyone wants to hear me talk anyways. I did see a lady when I was leaving. She was attractive, redheaded, built kind of like you. Seeing her made me feel like I felt the first time I saw you. I was so caught off guard, I think I stared at her like a complete and total moron till I could breathe again, and when I could, she was gone. Guess I'm not able to move on from you at all. 4 years of nothing proves that. I thought I was ready, but I just can't. I love you Pam, I miss you bigger than the sky and I love you 10 times more. I replay that day in my head all the time. If I could go back in time, I would have turned 2 streets earlier and you would still be here with me. I guess if I can't move forward, then I'll have to find a way to be grateful for the time I had with you. I love you, I'll be back soon".

He kissed his fingers and then touched them on the tombstone in front of him.

' _Pamela Grace Chandler'_

As he stood up, the tears he tried so hard to control broke free, and one landed on her tombstone.

He walked to the car, and took a minute to compose himself before driving. Ever since that day, he was meticulous about how he drove. Seatbelt. Radio off. Blinders down. No distractions.

As he headed towards home, he saw a billboard.

"That's strange, it's just a saying. It's not advertising a company or anything".

It said "YES YOU CAN".

He kept driving toward home, and took a right at the light that took him to his neighborhood.

After he turned, up ahead, was another billboard.

The message was once again YES YOU CAN.

He pulled into his neighborhood, found his street and pulled up in front of his mailbox. He grabbed the mail and pulled up into the garage.

He sat in the car for a minute and flipped through the mail.

There was an ad for a realtor named Pamela. Right behind it, a postcard, unsigned. The message was "You Can Do It". He flipped it over and looked at the picture. It was a galactic theme and it said "Heaven awaits" across the bottom.

He grabbed a beer and went and sat outside on the back deck, thinking.

***A week later***

Jennifer walked into Singles who Mingle and made a name tag. She went and got a cup of coffee and then took a seat.

A few minutes later, Jonathan came in and took a name tag, and then took a seat.

He was looking all around for his mystery woman, but didn't see her. They sat through everyone else sharing their stories about being single and then the meeting ended.

"Ok everyone, this week's homework is to introduce yourself to someone new and ask them out for coffee. Have a great week".

Jonathan volunteered to put the chairs up again, so he stood up and started collecting them.

He turned around and found him staring into the prettiest eyes he had ever seen. They were the color of honey, when mixed with whiskey.

He was overjoyed to see that they belonged to the mystery redhead from last week.

"Hi, I'm Jonathan".

"Hi. I'm Jennifer. It's nice to meet you".

"It's lovely to meet you as well. Here, let me help you with that".

She helped him put the chairs away.

"Well, it was nice to meet you. See you next week".

She grabbed her purse and was making her way to the door.

He caught up to her outside.

"Can I walk you to your car? I would hate for a beautiful lady like yourself to be in harm's way".

"Oh that's ok. I'm just right there".

"Great, then it's a short walk".

They walked the 15 steps to her car, and as she opened the door, he held it open for her.

"Thank you. It was so nice to have met you".

"You're welcome, likewise, and would you like to meet me for coffee tomorrow night?"

Jennifer was shocked.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I'm a little rusty. Would you like to meet me for coffee, tomorrow night?"

"Well, I work longer hours than most people. So, it would have to be a late date, oh, I don't mean a date-date. I mean, I'm not like most people. I work till about 6 or 7 every night, if not later. So it would have to be after that. Yes, that's what I'm saying".

He reached forward and took her hand in his.

"I am the same way. How about 7:30? There's this little coffee shop that's hardly ever crowded named Cappuccino. It's on the corner of 5th and Broom. Meet you there?"

She smiled at him.

"Alright. Meet you there".

"Great." He pulled out his wallet and gave her a business card.

He quickly wrote his private office number on the back.

"If anything comes up, call me at this number".

"I will".

"Goodnight, Jennifer".

"Goodnight John".

"Jonathan".

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jonathan".

After she was safely in her car, he walked to his own.

He tried to assess how he was feeling as he drove home. The last time he remembered feeling this way was when he asked a girl to the prom in High School.

He was all topsy-turvy on the inside.

He remembered feeling that way with Pam, and hoped that it would go away in time.

***Jennifer***

Jennifer drove home to her apartment, thinking about Jonathan the whole time.

She had no clue what made him choose her for their homework assignment, other than availability and close proximity.

' _It's just coffee, nothing more'._

She repeated that to herself as she took a bubble bath and as she went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

***The next day***

Jennifer was running a staff meeting at the office.

"Ok, look, we are desperately in need of some good ideas. So, please, for the love of humanity, some please pitch me a story that will draw readers in?"

One by one, they all started pitching their ideas.

"Investigating the problems with the foster care system in California by spotlighting two cases of child abuse".

"I like it. Bring me a rough draft with 4 sources in a week".

"Infiltrating a business by getting hired and working part time, to see if they discriminate against women, ethnicities, etc."

"I love that. Sort of a reverse, expose. Rough draft in a week".

"I want to investigate a businessman here in town who has a known reputation for being a womanizer. I plan on getting an interview, and seeing if he comes on to me, and then wearing a wire and getting him to talk about the other allegations. And the other women who have made their allegations, will all give their testimonies in my story, with pseudonyms of course".

"What proof do you have that this exists?"

"The word of 8 different women who worked for him at different times in different positions, some even in different locations".

"It's risky, but I like it. I'll give you 2 weeks to get a rough draft together".

"Anyone else?"

Nobody else had any new business, so she adjourned the meeting.

She headed back to her office and stared at her calendar. She was dying for a massage and to get her hair done and a pedicure. She was trying to figure out what day she could fit it in, when she saw it.

"Coffee with Jonathan. Cappuccino, 7:30".

She was excited but not overly. Cautious was a better term.

She spent the rest of the day doing paperwork, until Shannon popped into her office.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Where were you last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the support group. It was your idea to go and you bailed after one meeting".

"Well-"

"I thought it was mandatory for you, for that counseling requirement. Remember how you told me it was this or personal counseling and you said you'd rather die first than get personal counseling?"

"Well, that was until I met a really hot personal counselor. Now I can't wait to spend time in his office".

"Some friend you are! I gave up an evening at home relaxing to go with you and you bail on me! Thanks a lot".

Jennifer ignored her and got back to work.

"Now come on, don't be mad at me".

"I'm not mad. I'm hurt. And I don't want to talk about it anymore".

"Look, I'll make it up to you. Let's go get drinks tonight, on me."

"No thank you, I have plans already".

She gathered her things and headed out, leaving Shannon standing in the office.

She went home and got ready, and after much indecision, decided to go casual to her coffee date with Jonathan.

She put on a pair of dark green skinny jeans, a black v-neck tunic with cap sleeves, and some black strappy sandals.

She got to the coffee shop a little early, and got in line to order since they were getting backed up.

He came and found her in line.

"Hi. You made it".

"Hi. Yeah, I just got here".

Her face brightened up when she saw him.

"If you want, I'll order for us if you want to go get a table."

"Sure. I just want a small house coffee with cream on the side, and an ice water".

"Got it. I'll come find you".

"Thank you".

She went and found them a cozy little table tucked away in a corner.

A few minutes later, he brought their coffees to the table.

"I didn't know how much cream you needed so I had him pour some into a cup".

"Oh, that's perfect thank you".

They got their coffees all situated and then he looked at her.

"So, tell me about yourself. What made you go to Singles who Mingle?"

"Well, I'm 28, I just moved here a few months ago from New York. I am a journalist. I'm an only child, no siblings. Never married, no kids. I didn't even know about Singles who Mingle until a friend of mine, the girl that came with me last week, talked me into going with her as sort of moral support. She's going through a divorce and they have a counseling clause in their agreement and the group qualifies. So I went with her and then last night, she bailed on me".

She took a sip of her coffee.

"Ok, your turn".

"Well, I'm a little bit older than you. I'm 38. I've lived in California my whole life. I'm also an only child, of sorts. I'm a businessman, I own my own company. I saw an ad for Singles who Mingle and thought I'd give it a try".

"What do you mean you're an only child of sorts?"

"Well, my parents had me and my older sister. And then everyone died, except me. So I was sent to live in an orphanage. Long story short, when I was a teenager, I met the guy who I consider to be my father, Max. We aren't blood related, but he's the only father figure I've ever known. I met him at a time in my life when I had graduated from being a bad kid at the orphanage to being a bad kid out in the streets too. He took me in and straightened me out. After I graduated high school by the skin of my teeth, I joined the navy. And when I came out, he put me through college and then helped me start my company. So, I'm not really his child, but he doesn't have any other ones."

"I see. So, have you ever been married?"

"No."

"So how exactly has a handsome man like you avoided marriage so long?"

"Well, I….it's kind of complicated, but basically….I'm sorry. I can't do this. This was a mistake. Have a nice night".

Before Jennifer could say anything, Jonathan got up and bolted from the restaurant, leaving her sitting there, dumbfounded.

After a few minutes, she got up and cleaned up their coffees and headed home.

***Monday***

Jennifer got to work and went straight to her office.

She was there early because they were having their weekly staff meeting.

Shannon popped in, just before the meeting.

"Ok, look. I'm sorry about bailing on you for the group meeting. I should have at least told you I wasn't going."

"Thank you".

"So, after you left Friday, I saw on your calendar that you had a coffee date. How did it go?"

"Absolutely perfect in the beginning. And then it went south in a hurry."

"What happened?"

"Well, I don't know really. He asked me to tell him about myself. And I did. And then it was his turn. And when I asked him if he had ever been married, he said no. And then I asked him how he had avoided marriage for so long, and he freaked out and said the whole thing had been a mistake and that he couldn't do it and left. He got up and left".

"Did you follow him?"

"No, I didn't. I'm not that desperate".

"Well, maybe the next one will be better. Maybe he got sick. Maybe-"

"Maybe the cow jumped over the moon. His 'why' doesn't matter, it was still rude of him to leave me sitting there and a waste of my time if he wasn't interested".

"I agree".

They walked to the conference room for the staff meeting.

After the meeting was over, Jennifer headed back to her office.

She worked for a couple hours and then went out for lunch.

She decided to treat herself to L'Orangerie.

She walked in and placed a to-go order at the bar.

She stood there and waited for it, and then got her wallet out to pay.

As she did, a receipt for her dry cleaning fell from her purse.

She had paid for her order and was about to walk out when Jonathan and a business associate walked in.

"Jennifer! Hi!"

"I was just leaving".

Just then the waiter came running after her.

"Miss, you dropped something".

He had her dry cleaning ticket.

"Oh, here I'll take that. I promise, I'll get it to her".

"Thanks".

He put it in his pocket and continued with his business lunch.

After he was finished, he went back to the office.

"Deanne, can you buzz Stanley Friesen and have him come see me? I need a favor".

"Right away, sir".

***Later that night***

Jennifer had just gotten home and couldn't wait to relax. She had just changed into her lounging clothes when she heard a knock at the door.

She went to answer it, and found Jonathan holding her dry cleaning on the other side.

"Hi".

"May I come in?"

She nodded and let him in.

He handed her the dry cleaning.

"Thank you".

She went and hung it up on her bedroom door and then came back.

"Is dry cleaning your business? Do I owe you a tip?"

"No, nothing like that. You uh, dropped the claim receipt for your dry cleaning at L'Orangerie, so I went and claimed it for you and brought it here".

"Oh. Well thank you".

"Can we talk a minute?"

"I suppose so".

They sat on the couch.

"I'm sorry I ran out on you, at the coffee house. You deserve better than that and I shouldn't have done that. I apologize".

"Thank you".

"Well, I should be going".

"That's it?"

"Was there something else?"

"Your apology was nice, Jonathan, but your explanation was non-existent. I feel you owe me at the very least a reason why you ran out".

"It's complicated. I don't want to bore you with the details, but trust me when I say-it really and truly had nothing to do with you. It's just something that I'm still dealing with, that I doubt you would understand".

"Try me".

"Well, I was in a relationship with someone. And it ended in the worst possible way. And I keep seeing reminders of that relationship and that person all around me and it's just too much".

"Are you saying I remind you of her?"

He nodded. "In a way".

"I see. Is it my red hair?"

He shook his head.

"My brown eyes?"

"Your eyes are brown with specks of green, by the way and they're gorgeous. And no, it's not your eyes".

"Is it more basic than that? Is it just because I'm female?"

"I don't think so. I don't know how to put it into words, really. It's more of a feeling that I get".

"I see. Well, I'm no therapist but it's obvious that you never really dealt with your feelings about her after your relationship ended. So, you should probably do that before you jump into another relationship".

"For someone who's not a therapist, that's pretty good advice".

She smiled at him.

"Well, thank you".

They were quiet for a few minutes and then finally, she spoke up.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure".

"How did you find out my address?"

"Well, I have this employee who has a knack at finding out things better than professional investigators do. So, I asked him to see if he could find your address or phone number."

"I see. And if he hadn't?"

"I would have given you the claim ticket at the support group, if you came to it. And if you hadn't I would have taken it to the dry cleaner and had them contact you".

"Jonathan, what if we started over? I'm willing if you are".

"Well, I'm happy for us to have a friendship, but I think you're right that I need to figure out my feelings and get my head straight before I start anything with anyone else."

"That's fair."

"Well, I've disturbed you enough tonight. I apologize, I better go."

She put her hand on his.

"You didn't disturb me".

"Are you going to the group on Thursday?"

"Yes, I think I am".

"Great, how about I save you a seat".

"I'd like that".

He stood up to leave and she walked him to the door.

"Thanks for coming by. How much do I owe you for my dry cleaning?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it".

She impulsively leaned forward and hugged him.

He hugged her back for a few minutes.

"Well, goodnight".

"Goodnight, Jonathan".

She closed the door behind him and sat down on the couch.

She tried to get into a movie, but her mind was only on Jonathan.

***Jonathan***

Jonathan drove home, but he couldn't recall how he got there. The entire time he drove, he replayed the hug with Jennifer and her gorgeous smile, over and over in his head.

He walked in the house and found Max sitting on the couch.

"Hey Mr. H."

"Hey Max."

He grabbed a beer and came and sat with him.

"You look like something's on your mind".

"I do have something on my mind. How do you know when it's time to let go of the past, Max?"

"You just know, Mr. H. But really, there's no reason to hold onto whatever it is, if it's the past. You can't get the past back".

"Don't I know it. I have wished for that for years".

"Level with me, Mr. H. Did you meet someone?"

He took a swig of his beer.

"Maybe, I don't know. I like her, I know that. But I don't know if I'm ready to like her-like her. And I keep going back to the promise".

"Mr. H., that promise is 4 years old. And Pam would understand. If she could have talked to you that day, she would have told you not to have made that promise".

He took another swig of his beer.

"Let her go, Mr. H. She's in heaven, and she's happy, and she's not fretting over a promise that you made to her when you were emotional. She would want you to be happy."

"I hope you're right, Max. I just wish I knew for sure what she would say".

"She would tell you to be happy. That's all she ever wanted, was for you to be happy. She wanted everyone to be happy, whatever that looked like for them."

"The last time I remember being happy was the day before she left".


	3. Chapter 3

***Thursday***

Jennifer showed up to Singles who Mingle right before Jonathan.

She looked so pretty, in a black wrap dress and silver jewelry and black wedges.

Jonathan was still in his office clothes.

"Hey, have you been waiting long?"

"No, not at all. I just got here".

"Great. Find us some seats and I'll get us some coffee".

"Thanks".

She found them two seats kind of in the middle and he came and joined her.

"Here you go".

"Thank you".

He sat down next to her and took a sip of his coffee.

"So, did you have a good day?"

"Yeah, actually, I did. You?"

"Yes. I hired a new employee about a week ago, and I've already promoted her. It's such a good feeling when you find someone you can trust".

"Yes it is".

Toya stood up and started the meeting.

"Hello everyone. Ok, so last week's homework assignment was to introduce yourself to someone new and ask them out for coffee. Would anyone like to share how that went for them?"

They listened to a few people share.

"Ok, so by show of hands, who completed the assignment and had it go badly?"

A few people raised their hands.

"Who completed the assignment and had it end well?"

A few people raised their hands.

"And who completed the assignment and had it end somewhere in the middle?"

Jonathan and Jennifer raised their hands.

"Good, good. Now this week's topic deals with what to do with everything when the relationship ends. What do you do with all the things that remind of you the person you used to be with?"

They listened to everyone share, but neither of them felt like sharing themselves.

When the hour was up, Toya closed the meeting.

"Ok, this week's homework-take your friend that you took for coffee, or someone new, if it didn't work out, somewhere for a meal. And let's switch it up. If you are not the one that paid for coffee, then dinner is on you. See you all next week, please stack your chairs on the way out".

Jonathan and Jennifer stood up and he started stacking the chairs. She took their coffee cups to the garbage and then waited for him by the door.

He walked her to her car and opened the door for her.

"Thank you".

She tossed her purse into the passenger seat and turned to him.

"Ok, so dinner is my treat. We can go somewhere now, or we can meet tomorrow if you'd like".

"I'm good to go now, if you want."

"Ok, how about Porter's steakhouse, right up the street?"

"Sure. I'll follow you".

He followed her to the steakhouse and parked next to her.

They walked inside and got a table.

"Have you been here before?"

"No, I haven't. I have had it to go, though".

"It's very good. They have good sides as well".

The waitress came and took their order.

"Ok folks, I'll put this in. Here's a buzzer in case you two decide to go dance. When it goes off, that means it's on its way out".

"Thank you".

She took a sip of her wine and leaned back against the booth. They were sitting at a round table in a half-circle booth that was very intimate.

They chatted about the group some, and then the conversation moved to themselves.

The music started and the lights dimmed.

"Would you care to dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask".

They headed to the dance floor and she tucked the buzzer in her bra.

She fit in his arms like she was meant to be there. She couldn't help but notice that he had on a very pleasing cologne. She rested her cheek against his and rubbed his back while they danced to "It Had to Be You".

The song ended, and she moved her hands to his neck and looked at him.

He rested his forehead against hers, as the music changed to "You Needed Me".

In the middle of their dance, he looked at her.

"Jennifer?"

"Yeah?"

"Your chest is vibrating".

She started to laugh, and he was captivated by the sound of her laughter.

"So it is".

They headed back to the table and a few minutes later, the waitress brought their meals.

They shared a lovely meal, and then she paid the check and they got up and walked out.

"I'll follow you back to your apartment".

"Ok".

He opened the car door for her, and then after she was settled, walked around and got in his own car.

He followed her to her apartment and parked next to her.

He got out and walked her to the door.

She let him in and he closed the door right behind her.

He was nervous, and he knew it was a big step. Still, he needed to do it.

He stepped forward and hugged her.

"Thank you for dinner".

"Thanks for going with me".

He looked over and saw a copy of the LA Chronicle.

"You take this paper, huh?"

"Well, I work there, so I kind of have to".

"Yeah, I guess you do."

"Let me guess, you like the Times better?"

"I wouldn't say better. But the LA Times has always been supportive of my company, where other publications have not".

"I see".

"Well, I said I was going to make sure you are inside safely and you are. So, that's my cue to head home. Thanks again for dinner".

"Thanks again for going with me".

She leaned up and hugged him and then he left.

As she headed to bed, she found herself humming "It Had to Be You".

***Jonathan***

Jonathan pulled up in the garage and went inside. He grabbed some water before he headed upstairs to bed.

Max thought he heard something, so he came out of his room to check.

He saw Jonathan's keys on the counter and realized he was home.

As he went back to bed, he heard him singing "It Had to Be You".

' _Maybe happier days are ahead'._

***The next week***

It was Tuesday, and Jennifer was in a staff meeting.

"Ok everyone, update me on how your stories are going. Brittany, you go first".

"Well, my child abuse story is basically written. But I was going to ask you if we could turn it into a 2 parter- there's a few more things I want to highlight and information I want to reveal".

"Write me a rough draft of part 2, and we'll talk. I'm sure we can fit it in somewhere".

"Thank you".

"Ok Kelsey, you're up".

"Well, I got hired on at the company I chose, and so far I've been promoted. I haven't experienced discrimination there personally, but I have heard others state that they feel discriminated against. I have 3 weeks left on my assignment before I plan on turning in my notice".

"Sounds great. I'm intrigued. Ok, Amy, you're up".

"I scored an interview with my businessman. It's tomorrow. So far, everyone I've dealt with at his company has been completely professional and respectful. According to the other women though, it's after this stage when it starts."

"Great, keep me updated. Ok, meeting adjourned guys, thanks for the good work".

She headed back to her office.

Lilianna, the receptionist was bringing her some flowers.

"Hi Miss Edwards, these just came for you".

"Thank you, Lillianna".

She sat down and looked at the bouquet. Pink tulips and white carnations in a curved clear vase with bells of Ireland to round it out.

She took the card and opened it.

"Enjoyed our dinner last week-can I return the favor? Please call me. 424-604-4278. Jonathan".

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, and picked up the phone and called him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Jennifer. Thank you for the flowers".

"You're welcome. I know it's short notice, but do you have dinner plans tonight?"

"No, I don't".

"Well, I would love to take you to dinner tonight, if you're willing. It's kind of a business thing, so there might be another couple joining us. But we've scheduled this dinner 3 times now and they've canceled each time, so it could end up being just you and me".

"Well, I'm willing. How dressed up do I need to be?"

"Nice, but not formal or anything. And I don't mean to sound ungrateful, because I am so glad that I met you, but if they ask us where we met, can we not mention the singles group?"

"I am most definitely in agreement with that. You have nothing to worry about. We can just say we met through friends, nobody needs to know the details".

"I agree. Ok, so I'll pick you up at 6, is that alright?"

"Yes, that's fine. See you then".

"Bye Jennifer".

"Bye Jonathan".

She hung up and got to work.

She left the office around 4:30 and hurried home to get ready.

She took a quick shower and then selected a purple sleeveless dress with a ruffled scoop neck and ruffled hem. She put a black belt on, and some black peep toe heels.

She was ready about 10 minutes till 6. He knocked on the door right on time, and she opened it.

"Hi".

"Hi. You look gorgeous".

"Well thank you".

"Shall we?"

"We shall. Just let me grab my keys and we can go."

She locked the door and walked with him to the car.

He opened the door for her so she could get in.

"Thank you".

He slid into the driver's seat and started the car.

They drove up the coast a little bit.

"Jonathan, where are we going?"

"Antonio's. It's a great little Italian place. They have wine and dancing and wonderful food".

"Sounds lovely".

"It's only about 20 minutes farther. Shouldn't take us too long to get there".

When they arrived, he valet parked the car and they headed inside.

They were taken to their table right away and he ordered them some wine.

"The couple we are meeting is Hank and Vivian Barnwell. They are very nice. It's just sometimes, he gets so involved in the business talk that she ends up sitting there all alone and completely ignored. So, I figured if you wouldn't mind talking to her, I could talk to him and close the business deal, and then once that's signed, we can have a lovely dinner".

"Certainly".

She patted his arm.

A few minutes later, Hank and Vivian arrived.

"Hello there, Jonathan."

"Hank, great to see you. Hank, Vivian, this is my friend Jennifer Edwards. Jennifer, this is Hank and Vivian Barnwell".

"Hi, it's lovely to meet you".

They all shook hands and then Jonathan and Hank got down to business.

Vivian and Jennifer awkwardly chatted.

"You have the prettiest nails".

"Oh thank you. I'm actually overdo for a manicure".

"So what do you do?"

"I'm a journalist. What about you?"

"I'm a housewife."

"I see. How many children do you two have?"

"3. They're all grown now, and we have 6 grandchildren".

"Oh, how fun!"

"Yes, it's wonderful. We could have never had 3 children if I was working. I firmly believe a woman's place is in the home".

"Yes, well, if that's where she chooses to be, then I guess that's where her place is. I firmly believe a woman's place is wherever she chooses to be".

"That's cute when you're young, but you have to change your attitude if you want to land a man. Men like high necklines, women who keep a neat and tidy home, and dinner on the table when they come home from work".

"I see."

She turned to Jonathan.

"Jonathan, I'm going to head to the bathroom for a moment. And when I get back, let's dance, shall we?"

"Ok".

He helped her up and stood up when she left and then sat back down.

He and Hank continued to negotiate while Jennifer was in the bathroom.

She came back and Jennifer and Jonathan went to the dance floor.

"Want to tell me what that was about?"

"I'm sorry. She was just making me so angry, making feel bad about myself that I just had to get away".

"What did she say?"

"Well, she kept saying that a woman's place is in the home. So, I said that I firmly believe a woman's place is where she chooses to be, and if she chooses to be in the home, great, if not, that's great too. She then said that men like high necklines, women who keep a neat and tidy home, and dinner on the table when they get home from work. And it just made me so mad I had to get a breath of fresh air".

"Yeah, he's busting my chops and trying to get me to agree to buying his company but he wants all the female employees to be let go, and I won't agree to that. I think it should be performance based, not gender based".

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm holding firm. He can take it or leave it".

"Good for you".

Their dance ended and they went back to the table.

"Ok Hank, here's my final deal. I will buy your company for the price we stated, and you will remain on as COO, instead of CEO. And I will evaluate every employee's performance, and if someone needs to be released from their employment, they will be. But it will be performance based, not gender based. Take it or leave it".

"Can you guarantee me that only men will be promoted to the top level positions?"

"I could. But I won't. Archaic views like that have no place in any business that my company owns. What I will guarantee you is that the best person for the job will be selected and paid accordingly".

"I'm sorry, Jonathan. No deal".

"I'm sorry we couldn't come to an agreement".

"I am too".

Hank and Vivian said goodnight and left the restaurant.

Jennifer turned and looked at Jonathan.

"Great job".

He raised his glass.

"To holding firm".

"To holding firm".

They clinked glasses and took a sip.

He signaled the waitress and she came and took their orders.

After a lovely dinner, he paid the check and they headed home.

He unlocked her door when they got to her place, and they went inside.

"How about a drink?"

"Oh no thanks, I'm good."

She kicked her shoes off and then turned around in front of him.

"Would you mind unzipping me?"

"Not at all". He unzipped her and she turned back around.

"I'll be right back".

She disappeared into the bedroom and emerged a few minutes later in a robe and slippers.

"That's much better".

He was sitting on her couch.

She grabbed the paper off the kitchen counter.

"There was something in here I wanted to ask you about-oh yes, here it is. Are you into golf?"

"Yes, I play weekly".

"Great! Do you think maybe you would be willing to join a tournament with me? It's boy/girl couples, players alternate shots and you can only use one club for the whole thing. I'll cover your fees if we can use your club".

"Sure, I'd love to do that. When is it?"

"Next Saturday morning at Bay Coast Country Club".

"Yeah, I think I can do that".

"Yay! Thank you!"

She leaned forward and hugged him.

"And thank you for dinner also".

"Thanks for going with me".

Her back started hurting so she went to the freezer and got out her ice pack and then got some medicine out of the cabinet.

She tried to open the medicine bottle, but couldn't.

"Would you mind?"

"Not at all. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, my shoulders are just tense, that's all".

He opened the medicine bottle for her and then stepped behind her and started rubbing her shoulders.

"Oh, that's the spot, right there. That feels wonderful".

He rubbed her shoulders for a few minutes and then she turned around and hugged him.

She kissed his neck a couple times.

"Want to stay the night?"

"I'm sorry, I can't. I have to go. Goodnight, Jennifer".

He quickly left before she could say anything else.

Dumbfounded, she locked the door behind him and headed for bed.

***The next morning***

Jennifer was in her office when Shannon popped in.

"Hey stranger. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. How are you?"

"Great. I decided to give the singles group another try and found a different one. I really like it so far".

"Glad it worked for someone".

"What happened?"

"Well, I met a guy at the meeting you ditched me at. His name is Jonathan and he's very handsome, intelligent, kind, friendly. So, the guy I had the coffee date with, he came to my apartment and apologized for leaving the way he did. And then he and I agreed to be friends, he said he's just not over his last relationship. So then we go to the group again, and this time the homework was for the person who didn't pay for coffee last week to pay for dinner for the one who did. So, I took him to dinner and we ate, and danced and had a great time. He sent me flowers and took me to dinner last night. And everything was going great, and then he just left again."

"Was it a date or was it just as friends?"

"He took me to an Italian place up the coast-Antonio's".

"Well hello big spender. Did he say he'd call you?"

"Nope".

"Did he give you a goodnight kiss?"

"Nope".

"Did he hold your hand in the car?"

"Nope".

"Jennifer, are you sure you had a date?"

"Maybe I thought it was one and he didn't. I didn't have a chance to ask him, he ran out of my house so fast, almost like I had the plague".

"Well, if he calls you, then hopefully you two can resolve it. If he doesn't, you can always try again at the group".

"If I go back".

Just then, Lillianna poked her head in.

"Miss Edwards, there's a guy named Jonathan on the phone for you".


	4. Chapter 4

Shannon gave her the thumbs up sign, and then left so she could take the call in private.

Jennifer let him wait a minute, and then picked it up.

"This is Jennifer Edwards".

"Hi, it's Jonathan".

"Hello".

"I'm sorry for the way I ran out on you last night. I should have stayed to explain myself. It's just that I felt bad that you got the wrong idea".

"Jonathan, if I did something to offend you, I'm sorry. That was never my intentions".

"You didn't do anything. I'm still working through the remnants of my past relationships and I just panicked. And we had agreed to be just friends, so I was worried that I was leading you on, and I don't want to lead you on, at all".

"You aren't leading me on. It's alright. Let's just forget about it ok?"

"Sure. Would you be willing to have coffee with me tonight?"

"Yeah, I think I can do that. But can we have it at my house? I'm expecting a phone call from my father and I don't want to miss it".

"Certainly".

"Great. I'll be home at 5, come over whenever you want. And come comfortable, because I will have definitely changed clothes".

"Sounds good. See you then".

"Bye Jonathan".

"Bye Jennifer".

They hung up and she got back to work.

She left around 4:30 and hurried home.

She threw on some comfy clothes, and tidied up a bit.

He arrived at 5:30, and he had flowers and a sack with him.

"Hi".

"Hi, come on in".

"Thanks".

He handed her the flowers.

"These are for you".

"Thank you".

She went and put the flowers in some water.

"I also brought this. It's a crumb cake and some biscotti. You can't have coffee without crumb cake and biscotti".

"Oh. Thank you".

She stuck the crumb cake in the fridge and the biscotti on the counter.

He came over and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Now, I don't know about you, but it's too early for coffee. How about a pizza?"

"Yes, please".

They called and placed the order and then sat down on the couch.

"So why is this phone call from your dad so important?"

"Well, he travels the world, he's an art dealer. And right now he's in France, and he only has about 2 hours free where he can call me. And I don't have an answering machine, so if I don't answer, he worries".

"I see."

Right on time, her phone rang, and she reached over and answered it.

It was her father and they chatted for a little bit.

Their dinner arrived, so he got up and paid for it, and she came and touched him on the back and handed him a $20.

He shook his head and brought the pizza to the counter.

She started getting out plates and cups.

He leaned back against the counter and waited for her to finish their conversation.

A few minutes later, she and her dad ended their phone call and she set the phone down.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah, he just misses me. He sounded so lonely".

She handed him a plate and they started on the pizza.

"How about a movie?"

"Sure".

They took the pizza to the couch and she found them a movie.

"Scary movie, or romantic?"  
"How about an old black and white?"

"Oh great idea! I love those!"

They picked one and got comfy.

Near the end of the movie, she got up and made the coffee and cut him a piece of the cake.

"Thanks".

She settled on the couch next to him with some biscotti and coffee.

After the movie ended, she turned the tv off and took her coffee mug to the sink.

He got up and followed her.

"So, I was thinking. Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Sure, that sounds nice."

"Great, I'll pick you up at 6 tomorrow night".

She nodded.

"Jonathan…I need to ask you…is this…well, what I mean is….are you thinking that this is….tomorrow night I mean…..are you thinking it's a date? Like a date-date?"

"Yeah, like a date=date".

He smiled at her and then she walked him to the door.

"So, I'll pick you up at 6 tomorrow".

"Perfect".

"Casual. And you don't have to bring anything".

"Sounds great".

She hugged him goodnight and then he left.

She fell asleep that night with a smile on her face.

***The next morning***

Jennifer was all smiles when she headed to work. But as soon as she walked into the building, it felt like all hell had broken loose.

Everyone was coming to her with issues and problems. She spent all morning dealing with that and before she knew it, it was lunch time.

"Ok, everyone, I'm taking a lunch break. I will be back here at 1. When I get back, I expect all of you to be back here as well. And at that time, I will meet with each of you individually and we will resolve your issues together one on one".

They groaned but they really had no other options.

She headed to get herself some lunch and then came back shortly before 1.

"Kelsey, you're up first".

"Well, the boss of the company that I work for, he passed me over for my latest promotion. And I'm just as qualified for that position as the person who he gave the promotion to. It's not fair, and I'm not sure how to proceed".

"Well, in this case, you need proof that he passed you over because he was discriminating against you because of your gender. Do you have that?"

"He didn't say it in exact words, but the person he did promote is male. And last week, I tried 5 times to make an appointment with his secretary to see him. And each time, she was all "He's busy, I'm sorry". But this guy gets to just waltz right in no appointment needed".

"Ok, so you write the article and stick to the facts. Tell the reader what happened, in your own words, and let them decide for themselves if he's gender biased or not".

"Yeah, I like that. I could definitely do that".

"And it might be a good idea if you were to use pseudonyms for the business and the boss's name. Just for legal reasons".

"Thank you! I'll have this on your desk today".

"Great. Ok Amy, your turn".

"Ok, so I got the manager to agree to let me shadow him. And that's when he started making passes at me. He tried to put his hand up my skirt, down my blouse, and each time I moved away. When he realized that him touching me wouldn't work, he tried to get me to touch him. So, I don't really have an issue with my article-I'm telling everything and then some, believe me. My issue is really, do I file the police report before the article gets published or after?"

"I say after. That way the story stands alone and the premise of the story won't be blown by the news of the police report and his arrest, which it sounds like might be a result. And this part is non-negotiable-I don't want you going back there any longer. Not for any reason".

"Oh, I'm not. I was done that day".

"Good girl".

"Thanks."

"Sure. Brittany, your turn".

"My article is fine, structurally. I just don't know which of these pictures to include".

Jennifer sorted through the pictures and they chose a couple and then she called everyone together for a meeting.

"So, I've been thinking about moving someone to Assistant Editor, and honestly, I had a hard time deciding who it should be. But, I made up my mind. Our new editor is Shannon Chapman. So, if you can't get me, you can get her. She will run everything by me, and her answer is as good as mine. This changes nothing-we still check, double check, and then check again. Copious amounts of research, leave no stone unturned. That's what makes us good journalists. I don't want good journalists. I want great ones. So, keep up the good work, and come to me and Shannon with any questions you might have. Back to work, everyone".

Everyone clapped for Shannon.

Jennifer quickly hugged her.

"You can either keep your desk or move to the office next to mine, up to you. I have plans tonight, so I'm cutting out a little early-Brittany, Amy, and Kelsey might bring you articles this afternoon. They've already met with me and I've approved the track they are on, so you can send them to print if they are complete".

"Thanks. See you tomorrow".

Jennifer quickly gathered her things and then headed home.

She took a bubble bath, and then started planning her outfit.

She finally decided on distressed cuffed skinny jeans, a light purple strapless top, and black strappy wedges.

She sprayed on some of her favorite perfume, the one that smelled like Orchids with just a hint of jasmine. She clipped her hair up and then curled the ends.

Right on time, at 5:55, he knocked on her door.

She opened the door.

"Hi."

"Hi. Let me grab my keys".

Jonathan had on a pair of jeans and a short sleeved button down shirt, and some brown loafers.

' _Damn, he looks good in those jeans….'_

She locked the door and he walked her to the car and opened the door for her.

"Thanks".

She squeezed his chin as she got in the car.

He came around and slid into the driver's seat.

They drove along in silence for a few minutes.

"How about some music?"

She reached forward to turn on the radio, but he stopped her.

"No!"

She looked at him, shocked.

"I'm sorry. It's broken. It doesn't work".

"I see".

She folded her hands and put them in her lap, vowing not to touch a single thing in the car the rest of the way.

' _You haven't had a date in ages….don't blow this, Jennifer'_

"So what did you have in mind?"

"The guy that took me under his wing as a teenager, his name is Max. He's cooking us dinner at my house tonight. He's a great cook".

"How lovely".

He pulled them into an exclusive neighborhood, Sunset Hills. It was gated, and you had to have ID if you lived there, and be put on the guest list if you didn't. To say these were luxury homes were an understatement.

He pulled them up into his driveway. She noticed he had a horseshoe driveway that had very pretty flower beds all along the edge.

He parked and then came around and opened the door for her and helped her out of the car.

"Thank you".

"In case I forgot to tell you before, you look gorgeous tonight".

"Thank you".

"I'm sorry I snapped at you over the radio, I guess I'm just a little nervous".

"Don't worry about it, it's already forgotten".

He opened the door and they walked inside.

"Mr. H., is that you?"

"Yes Max".

Max came out of the kitchen then.

"Hi, I'm Max".

"Hi, I'm Jennifer. Nice to meet you".

"Lovely to meet you".

"Jennifer, I'm going to go move the car. I'll be right back. Make yourself at home".

He dashed out the front door and left her with Max.

"What he means is, the home owner's association is real picky. If you park in front of your house for more than 20 minutes you get fined. That's why he's moving the car".

"I see".

She smiled at him.

"Can I help you with dinner?"

"Oh no, that's ok. I got it. It's almost ready".

Jonathan came in then from the garage.

"Jennifer, would you like a cocktail?"

"That would be lovely, thank you".

He stepped over to his bar and made her one while she walked around the room and took it all in.

His house was open, very modern, and obviously new. She was impressed by his floor to ceiling windows that led to the patio, and his minimal décor.

"Do you like martinis?"

"Yes, I do".

"How do you like them?"

"Double vodka, straight up, with a twist, no olive".

"Coming right up".

He made himself a scotch, neat, and then made her martini.

"We can sit outside on the patio if you want".

"That sounds lovely".

He went to the kitchen and told Max they were going to sit on the patio.

They walked outside over to the firepit.

He had several chairs and a couch spread around the firepit.

They sat on the couch and watched the sunset.

"You have a very lovely home".

"Thanks. I enjoy it. It's just the right size for me and Max. He has his space, I have mine. And it's a small lot, so it doesn't require a lot of upkeep. Plus, the pool is nice".

He had the most gorgeous pool she had ever seen. It was oval, with a diving board at one end and a waterfall at the other. There was even a tanning ledge.

"How did you find this place?"

He looked away quickly so she wouldn't see the look on his face.

"Through a friend".

"Any friend that finds you a home like this one is a friend worth keeping".

"I completely agree".

Max came out and told them that dinner was ready.

"Ok great".

He held his hand out to her and she took it.

He led her to the kitchen.

"You are in for a treat. Max made his famous chicken dish. He calls it Chicken a la Max. It's basically chicken, with honey mustard, bacon, mushrooms. It's great".

"Smells wonderful".

"I also made some parmesan rice and a tomato and avocado salad".

"Max-"

"Just try it, Mr. H. You won't know if you like It till you try it".

Max was making the plates, so Jennifer started filling water glasses. Jonathan grabbed the silverware and set the table.

"Ok you two. Everything you need is right here. I'm off to a poker game. Enjoy your evening. It was nice to meet you, Miss-"

"Edwards".

"Miss Edwards. Right".

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for making us dinner, I appreciate it".

"My pleasure. Have a good night, don't wait up for me".

"Night Max".

He disappeared into the garage and they took their plates to the dining room.

The table was set with fresh flowers and candles.

He pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you".

Once he was seated, he lifted his glass.

"To a lovely evening".

"I'll drink to that".

They clinked glasses and took a sip.

She took a bite of her chicken and moaned.

"This is amazing".

"Yeah, he's definitely a great cook".

"You're very lucky to have him, it's obvious he cares about you as if you were his own son".

"Well that's convenient because I care about him as if he's my own father".

After they ate, they did the dishes together and put away the leftovers.

When the dishes were all finished, he gave her a tour of the house.

"So downstairs, we have the living room and the kitchen, which you've seen. Max has his suite-bedroom plus bathroom plus sitting area down that hallway. My office is right here next to the door. And upstairs, is the best part".

He took her hand and led her upstairs. The stairs were wide and seemingly unconnected to each other.

At the top of the stairs was a loft like area, that had a couch and an oversized chair and several bookcases.

"This bedroom is the guest room. In all the years we've lived here, it's never been used".

"Interesting".

"And this bedroom is my room-I have a bedroom plus a bathroom in here".

She looked in. He had a water bed, with all black sheets and bedspreads. The walls were dark gray and all the furniture was black.

He led her down the rest of the hall.

"And this, is where you can usually find me. This is the media room".

The room had an almost wall-to-wall oversized couch facing a blank wall.

"Now, your job is to pick a movie. I'll make the popcorn and our drinks, and then we can turn the movie on".

She went and picked a Mystery movie, and handed it to him. He loaded it into the media player.

He walked over behind the bar and started making popcorn in his popcorn machine.

"Is that a for real popcorn machine, like they have at the movies?"

"Yes, it is. My company sold some equipment to a movie theater chain a few years back. As a result, they gave my company one of their popcorn machines. We had it at the office, but it caused more distractions than anything else, so I figured it was either lock it in a closet and never use it, or bring it home and sometimes use it".

"Great choice".

He lifted up the soda spicket and got out two soda glasses.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Oh, just water is fine, thank you".

"Alright".

He made himself a coke and her a water, and then when the popcorn was ready, they headed to the couch.

She kicked her shoes off and climbed on the couch, and set her drink in the drink holder.

She reached up to take his drink from him, and then handed it back when he was settled.

He grabbed the remote and turned the lights off.

"Hang on, I know it's dark. Just hang on".

He grabbed another remote and hit a button and all of a sudden, a lit screen descended from the ceiling.

It was just like being at the movies.

"This is so neat! I love this!"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I can watch movies or live tv, whatever I want. You haven't seen anything till you watch football in here. Now that's fun".

She smiled at him.

"I bet that's fun".

She settled back and got into the movie. After she had enough popcorn, she put the bowl to the side.

A few minutes later, he put his arm around her and she scooted over towards his shoulder.

He stretched out as she settled onto his shoulder and held her for most of the movie.

A little over halfway through, he took his arm off her and sat up.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, my back is just hurting some".

"Where?"

"Right here".

She started to rub his back for him and could feel his back loosening up.

After a few minutes he sat back again.

"Thanks. It stopped".

She sat back and linked her arm through his.

Right before they revealed who the murderer in the movie was, Jonathan leaned over to Jennifer.

"I bet it's that guy, with the white hat".

"Oh please. It's definitely the other guy, wearing all black".

"Bet".

He paused the movie.

"What would you like the stakes to be?"

"If I'm right, you have to take me for a stroll on the beach".

"Ok, and if I'm right, you have to let me blindfold you and take you somewhere as a surprise".

"Deal".

They shook hands and then he hit play again.

A few minutes later, it was revealed that the guy with the white hat was the murderer.

"Ha! I win".

"Damn, I forgot that he was the real killer."

They finished the movie and then he turned it off.

He stood up and then held his hand out to her.

He led her to his bedroom.

He grabbed one of his ties for her blindfold and then he grabbed a pair of his old Nike shorts and one of his old college t-shirts.

"Put these on, and then I'll blindfold you and we can go to the secret place".

"I don't know…."

"A deal's a deal, Jennifer. Now, I'll be in the bathroom, yell at me when you're ready".

"Fine".

She changed into his clothes and then called out she was ready.

He came and put the blindfold on her.

"Ok, how many fingers am I holding up?"

She reached out for his hands.

"Perfect, it's working".

He quickly shed his clothes and put on a pair of shorts.

"Ok, ready?"

"Ready".

He put her arms around his neck.

"Hold on tight".

He picked her up and carried her downstairs.

They walked a little ways and then he told her it was time.

"Ok, here we go. 1..2…3!"

Before she could get the blindfold off, he jumped them into the pool.


	5. Chapter 5

He let her go as soon as they hit the water.

She took the blindfold off and came up for air.

"Jonathan!"

"Surprised you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did".

"Now don't be mad. It was supposed to be fun. And you can borrow my hair dryer before I drive you home".

"I'm not mad. This is kind of nice. But next time, I'm bringing a swimsuit".

He pulled her to the tanning ledge and they sat and put their feet in.

"The water feels great tonight".

"Yeah it does".

He thought of something and looked at her.

"I'll be right back".

He climbed out of the pool and then ran over and flipped a switch, and instantly, the whole pool was illuminated.

He came back and joined her.

She was now leaning against the tanning ledge.

"The pool is beautiful. Your pool beats my complex pool any day of the week".

"Thank you. I really enjoy it. I come out here and swim laps a lot."

"Oh I love to swim laps! I was on the swim team in high school".

"What's your fastest time?"

"How long is this pool?"

"About half the size of an Olympic pool".

"Oh, I can swim there and back in under a minute, easy".

"You're on."

She tied his shirt in a knot around her as tight as she could get it.

They moved to the end of the pool, and got ready.

"On your mark, get set…..go!"

They took off swimming and splashing to the end of the pool. Jennifer expertly did a flip turn and swam under the water right past Jonathan.

She beat him by almost half his height.

"I want a rematch".

"What? Fair is fair, Jonathan. And I beat you fair and square".

"Ok, you're right."

She swam over to him.

"So what's my prize?"

"This".

He pulled her in for a steamy kiss. It was full of passion, romance, lust, and longing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and really leaned into the kiss.

She had the softest lips he had ever kissed and he couldn't get enough of them.

They finally broke the kiss and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

He felt her shiver.

"Ready to get out?"

"Mmmmhmmm". They got out and got towels and dried off.

They headed inside and upstairs.

"You take my bathroom to shower, I'll take the guest bathroom".

"Oh, don't be silly. I'll take the guest bathroom".

She leaned up and kissed him and then took her clothes to the guest bedroom and bath.

She took a quick shower and then got out and dried off, and got dressed.

She found a hair dryer under the sink and began to dry her hair.

He took a quick shower and then dried off and got dressed, and headed downstairs.

Max was coming in from his poker game.

"Hey, Miss Edwards still here?"

"Yeah, she's upstairs".

"The evening go well?"

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know".

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, everything was going great, and then I felt like I wanted to kiss her, so I did. And now I'm thinking I shouldn't have."

"Why?"

"I just keep thinking it's too soon Max. I haven't felt this way since Pam, and when I felt that way with her, I just went with it. But now, it's like I don't remember how to do that. And the last thing I want to do is lead her on, but I've already run out on her once at the coffee shop and again at her place, and I'm not sure how many chances I have left".

"Mr. H.-be honest with her. She deserves that, no matter what".

"Yeah, you're right. She does".

Jennifer finished drying her hair and clipped her hair back up, and then hung up all her wet clothes.

She went to the media room and got her shoes, and carried them downstairs.

She stopped on the landing when she heard Jonathan and Max mention her name.

"Miss Edwards is a very pretty lady, Mr. H. If you let her go, someone else might swoop in and steal her away".

"I know. And I don't want that. But if Pam knew about this, she would be so mad at me…."

Jennifer felt like she had been punched in the gut.

She felt foolish. No wonder he had ran out on her at the coffee shop and bolted out of her place when she suggested he spend the night. Because he was afraid of getting caught.

She strolled into the kitchen and interrupted their conversation.

"Jonathan, I have a bit of a headache. Do you think you could drive me home now?"

"Sure".

"Miss Edwards, we have some medicine if you'd like some".

"No thanks, Max. I have prescription pills at home that I have to take".

She walked forward and hugged him.

"It was wonderful to meet you and thank you for making us an incredible dinner".

"My pleasure, Miss Edwards".

Jonathan pulled the car around and she climbed in.

She was quiet on the way home and didn't say much.

He pulled them up to her apartment building and parked.

She got out before he could help her out of the car and started for the door.

She opened the door and then turned to him.

"Thanks for a lovely evening. Good night".

She kissed him on the cheek and then stepped inside and shut the door.

He was dumbfounded. A few seconds later, she turned out her outside lights, so he walked back to the car.

He replayed the evening over and over as he drove home and couldn't figure it out.

He walked back in the house and found Max at the table.

"Miss Edwards get home ok?"

"Yeah. I think I offended her somehow, but I can't figure it out."

"What do you mean?"

"She barely spoke the whole way home. And I walked her to the door, but she didn't invite me in like normal and she didn't even let me tell her goodnight. She gave me a very hurried goodnight, and then kissed my cheek and went inside and shut the door".

"Well, she said she had a headache. Maybe it got worse".

"Yeah, maybe".

He grabbed a beer and headed upstairs.

"Night Max".

"Night Mr. H."

***The next day***

Jennifer showed up at Singles who Mingle right before it started, on purpose. She wanted to be able to slip in and grab the closest seat to the door instead of having to sit with Jonathan.

He saw her across the room, and waved to her. She briefly made eye contact but then looked away.

Toya led the meeting and let everyone who wanted to share do so, and then afterwards, she announced they were doing an activity.

"Ok, if you made a date with someone last week, sit on the right side of the room. If not, sit on the left".

Jennifer got up and moved to the right side.

Jonathan scooted down and sat next to her.

"Would anyone like to share how their date went?"

He raised his hand.

"Jonathan, go ahead".

"Well, Jennifer took me to this great restaurant down the street after the group meeting last time. And then I returned the favor this past Monday. And we had a great time. And then we hung out her house the next night, and then had a great date at my house last night".

"Hmmph".

Jennifer was obviously annoyed.

"Jennifer, would you like to give your take on it?"

"We went out for coffee. He and I were having a great conversation and then he bolted. So the next day, I ran into him at a restaurant, and apparently dropped something with my name on it. He picked it up and tracked me down and came to my house to apologize. So, I forgave him and agreed to go to dinner on Monday night. And we had a great time. We went back to my house afterwards, and I asked him if he wanted to stay, and he bolted, again. So then he sent me flowers on Tuesday, asking me to call him, so I did. Again he apologizes, again I forgive him. He wanted to have coffee again that night, so I agreed. He came to my house and we had pizza and then watched a movie and ended the night having coffee. And I agreed to have dinner with him last night. And the entire evening was perfect, until I overheard him telling his houseman that his wife wouldn't understand."

Everyone in the room was visibly outraged.

"What?"

"Yes, that is a challenge. How did you feel when you overheard that, Jennifer?

"Like I had been punched in the gut".

"Jennifer-"

"Jonathan, you had your turn. It's her turn now".

"I feel used. I hate feeling this way. It's precisely why I had stopped dating all together".

"Well, this is an important lesson, that even though we think we know someone, there are still risks in every relationship".

"Wait a second. This isn't fair. You can't just let her make an accusation like that and not allow me to respond".

"What would you like to say?"

"Well, first of all, I would like to say I'm not married. I haven't lied to her, at all. Not once. Nor would I".

He sat back down and grabbed her hand.

"Can we just go somewhere and talk after this? I promise, I'll explain everything".

"No thank you".

She took her hand back and looked away.

They finished the meeting about 20 minutes later.

"Ok. This week's homework assignment is for everyone to try a new activity with the partner of their choice. Meeting is adjourned, stack your chairs. And by the way, Jonathan has graciously stacked the chairs each week for the past few weeks, it's someone else's turn".

Jennifer stood up and tried to leave, but Jonathan was hot on her heels.

He walked out the door with her.

"Can we please go somewhere and talk?"

"No thank you. I just want to go home".

He opened the door for her and then grabbed her arm.

"I meant what I said. I had a wonderful evening with you. I thought we both had a great time. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the evening with me. And I'm not married. I would love to see you again, so when you're ready, call me".

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek and then walked to his own car.

She drove home and immediately took a bubble bath.

While she soaked, she thought back over her past relationships. Grant, in college. Mark, back in New York. Elliott, Andy. All of them had ended badly and all of them had made her question whether she was meant for marriage and love.

If Jonathan wasn't married, then who was Pam? He hadn't mentioned a Pam to her ever. Oh well, it didn't matter anymore.

She got out of the bath and changed for bed.

As she fell asleep that night, she kept dreaming about their kiss in the pool.

***Two days later***

Jennifer showed up to the race that she and Jonathan had signed up for.

She signed in and put her number on and then found a spot where she could stretch.

When the race started, she started at a normal pace, and then gradually moved up. Her goal was just to finish, not to win.

She was about half a mile from the end, when she got hit by a cramp and slowed down considerably.

Anyone who saw her could obviously tell she was struggling.

She moved over to the curb and stopped, trying to catch her breath.

She heard him, before she saw him.

"Hey, come on. You got this. You're almost done. Let's keep going".

She nodded.

Jonathan stayed right by her and they finished together.

As soon as they finished, he helped her to the grass so she could stretch out her side, and then went to get them some refreshments.

He came back with two water bottles for her, two for him, and some orange slices for her.

"Thank you".

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. I guess I didn't stretch enough beforehand".

There was an awkward silence between them.

"Thanks for helping me out".

"Oh you don't have to thank me. I'm just glad I saw you".

After they were done, and the awards had been given out, there was no reason to stick around.

"Where did you park?"

"At home. I took a cab here".

"Well, can I give you a ride home?"

"Sure, I'd like that".

They walked to his car and he put the top down and drove her home.

When they pulled up, he parked and then grabbed her hand.

"Do you have plans today?"

"I plan to lay on the couch and recover."

"Well, there's somewhere that I'd like to take you, if you'll let me".

"I need a shower. Can we do it another time?"

"Yeah, that's fine".

"Thanks for the ride".

"Anytime".

She got out and walked up to the door and disappeared inside.

He sat there a minute, and then pulled out and drove off.

As Jennifer took a shower, she couldn't stop thinking about Jonathan. She thought about the whole thing from beginning to end, and couldn't figure out how she ended up in the friends zone.

As Jonathan drove away from her apartment, he kept hearing the promise he had made to Pam in his head. _'No matter what, there will never be another'_.

But when he pictured her, he could only picture Jennifer.


	6. Chapter 6

***Jonathan's house***

Jonathan came in and was surprised to find Max at the kitchen table.

"Hey, Mr. H. How was your race?"

"Well, I finished. So, that was good. And I finished with Jennifer, so that was better."

"Did you have a chance to talk to her?"

"Oh I had the chance, I just didn't take it like I should have. She was running up ahead of me, and I noticed she was struggling, so I caught up to her and then helped her finish. Afterwards, we had some recover refreshments together, and then she let me drive her home, since she had taken a cab there."

"So what happened?"

"Well, when we got to her apartment, I asked her if we could go somewhere but she didn't want to. So, instead of me telling her anything about Pam, I let her go into her apartment. That's the second time I've chickened out of talking to her."

"When was the first?"

"At the meeting the other night. Apparently, she overheard you and me talking the other night and now she thinks Pam is my wife and that I've lied to her. I tried to tell her everything, but she wasn't in the mood to listen. So, I told her that when she was ready, I was here and to call me. And I thought she would have by now, but she hasn't".

"Well, you've done all you can do, Mr. H. Some women are easy, and some women ain't. And usually the ones who are ain't the ones worth fighting for-it's the ones who ain't easy that you should fight for".

"Yeah, that's a good point. She's definitely gotten inside my head. The whole way home, all I could hear was me telling Pam there would never be another. But all I could see was Jennifer's face, not Pam's".

He headed upstairs to shower, thinking of Jennifer the whole time.

***Sunday***

Jonathan decided to head to the park for the afternoon. He was going to rent a bike and take it to the boardwalk on the beach.

As he turned on to West Alameda, he noticed that traffic was backing up and everyone was honking. When he got closer, he noticed Jennifer standing next to the car. She had raised the hood and was upset.

He pulled over to the shoulder and got out.

"Get in, put it in neutral and I'll push it over to the side while you steer".

She nodded and a few minutes later he had pushed the car to the shoulder.

She got out and turned to him.

"Thank you".

"What's the problem?"

"Well, I have a flat, and the owner's manual says the jack is located under the hood. But I can't get it undone, and I just got frustrated".

He went and looked at it.

"It's not coming off. It's rusted on there pretty good. How old is this car anyways?"

"It's a Camaro, I bought it from a guy who rebuilt it. It's about 18 years old".

"I see".

He closed her hood and started walking back to his car and popped the trunk.

He got out his jack, and his tire iron.

"Pop your trunk".

She did, and he got the tire out.

He started jacking up the tire, and then slid underneath the car.

"Jennifer, in my trunk is a gray toolbox. Can you get the flashlight out of it please?"

She grabbed it and came back and handed it to him.

"Thanks".

A few minutes later he slid back out.

"Ok, so you have a flat, that's true. But that's not your only issue. Your axle is bent, and your transmission is barely hanging on by a thread. You are going to need a tow-truck".

He could tell she was getting upset again so he tried to comfort her.

He took her hand and led her to his car and she got in.

He slid into the driver's seat, and called a tow-truck on his car phone.

They told him they would be there in 30 minutes, so he agreed to wait for them.

He hung up and then went and took the jack off her car, and put it away.

She started getting all her stuff out of her car.

"Can I use your phone to call Shannon for a ride home?"

"Sure, but you don't have to. I don't mind giving you a ride home".

She nodded.

The tow truck showed up and she got out.

He heard the guy ask her where she wanted them to take her car, and she suddenly panicked.

"I have no idea. What are my options?"

"Just take it to Crawley's on East 23rd and Ocean Avenue. We will follow you there".

They loaded her car and she signed the paperwork, and then they followed the truck to Crawley's.

Jonathan insisted on paying for the tow when they got there.

"I'm paying you back, Jonathan. I mean it".

"Not necessary, Jennifer".

He started to drive her home and then he turned to look at her.

"Can I…drive you somewhere? It's really important to me".

"Sure, I suppose".

He drove her to the cemetery and parked.

He came around and opened the door for her.

He held his hand out to her and she took it. Together, they walked to Pam's grave.

He sat down in front of it, and she sat down next to him.

"I don't know where to start, really. Only those closest to me know about this. And I should have told you sooner, but I was sorting out my feelings and I kept thinking we weren't there yet, and then before I knew it, we had blown right past the 'there' I kept thinking was up ahead".

She took his hand in hers.

"Tell me about her".

"She was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And she had a heart of gold. We met at a party in college. I wanted to take her out, but she was way out of my league, just like you are. It wasn't till our college reunion that I had the courage to ask her to dinner and to my surprise, she accepted. What followed was, to date, the best 2 years of my life."

He pulled out his wallet and showed her Pam's picture.

He took a deep breath.

"She was a teacher. She taught 5th grade at an elementary school, that had very low-income students. And she poured her heart and soul into that. She loved the kids in her class just like they were her own. And they were great kids too. After she died, I set up college funds for all the kids in her class. It was the least I could do".

"How kind of you".

She rubbed her thumb along the back of his hand.

"Everything was going great. I had picked out a ring, and I wanted the proposal to be perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I kept changing my mind on just how to do it. Everything I thought of was more perfect than my last idea. And then one night, we were headed home from dinner, and we were supposed to be going to her house and I was going to propose to her in her living room. I had decided that I would tell her to go try on her fanciest dress to wear for a party that weekend, and then I would put rose petals and lit candles all over the place and when she came out to show me, I would be on bended knee. Except, we turned down Hillshire, and we were heading towards Pacific Avenue, which would take us to her house. And when we turned, a car collided with us. They said the driver had fallen asleep and then he hit us. She took most of the hit-I had a dislocated shoulder, but she had it worse-2 broken legs, broken ribs, a broken arm above the elbow, a broken wrist, a lacerated liver, a collapsed lung. And the big one, a brain injury. I sat by her side for 8 straight days, never leaving her at all. She never regained consciousness. I talked to her the whole time, promising her things, mainly that there would never be anyone who took her place in my life. It was foggy that night, so I never drive in fog anymore. I had this really nice sports car-It was an MG convertible, cherry red. I had the top up and because the sun here is so brutal, I had gotten the windows tinted really dark. So dark that I didn't see the other car coming towards us. And we had the radio on, and I didn't hear the car coming until it was too late, so I never drive with the radio on, ever. And I promised her, once I knew that there was nothing more they could do, that I would never ever love another woman the way I loved her. And to this day, I haven't. I haven't even been remotely interested in any woman since then, until I met you".

"Oh Jonathan, it wasn't your fault. I understand that you think it was, but it wasn't. You can't control what the other cars do, you can only control what you do in your car and with your car".

"Everyone keeps saying that".

"Well, maybe, just maybe, everyone is right. And you must be starting to want to date again, you came to the singles group".

"Well, that's the thing. I was playing pool with a friend and he tried to convince me it was time to move on. And then on the way home, I saw an advertisement for the group, plus billboards saying "Yes you can" the whole way home. I don't know if I just thought I was ready, or if I'm really ready and I'm just scared. I just know that I haven't felt anything for anybody since Pam until I met you. That's why I bolted that night at the coffee shop-I didn't know what to do with what I was feeling, and I got scared".

"That's understandable. And had I known you were feeling this way, I would have never asked you to stay the night at my house. I apologize for rushing you".

"It's not your fault. I'm the abnormal one".

"Jonathan, you are definitely a lot of things, but abnormal is not one of them. You went through an extremely traumatic experience."

"Well, I'm certainly not normal".

"What you are, is healing. And your journey is just that-your journey. Your journey, your timetable. You don't owe anyone any explanations and you don't have to do anything on anyone's timeline".

"Jennifer, I was going to propose to her, I really and truly was. And I'm 99% positive that she would have said yes. And had that awful night not happened, we would have been married for a long time, I'm sure of it".

"That's sweet. That's all any of us can hope to have".

"But I swear to you, I have never and I am not now, married to anyone. I haven't even dated anyone since she died. I can only imagine what you overheard me and Max talking about that night at my house, and I can understand why you would think that I was referring to my wife. I'm sorry for that, you deserve better than that".

"Thank you, I'm glad to hear it".

"I told myself a hundred times that if you never wanted to see me again, that I would understand and accept it, as long as I told you the truth. So, now you know everything. I am stuck in this loop-I let my guard down and convince myself that you and I can have a normal, healthy relationship, and then I get scared and take off. I have no clue how to handle the panicky feeling when I start to feel it. This is all new to me".

"Have you considered a relationship therapist? Or maybe a grief specialist? I'm no expert but keeping all of this angst and fear all bottled up can't be good for you".

"No, I haven't. But that's not a bad idea".

They were quiet for a few minutes.

Finally, she looked at him.

"Do you come here a lot?"

"About once a week".

"That's sweet."

He stood up and then helped her up.

He stood there for a few minutes, staring at Pam's tombstone before he and Jennifer walked back to the car.

He opened the door for her, and then slid into the driver's seat.

He drove her home and helped her carry her things inside.

"Thank you for the ride home, and for helping me with my car, and for telling me about Pam."

"You're welcome. Thanks for not judging me".

"I would never judge you".

She looked around.

"You're welcome to stay a little bit if you want. I was just going to watch a movie".

"Sure, that sounds great".

She put the movie on and they settled on the couch.

"Now this isn't as swanky as the theater at your house, but my couch is still comfy".

He chuckled. "Your couch is great".

She settled against the couch and drew her legs up.

The movie ended and she got up to go to the bathroom.

"I'll be right back".

When she came back, she found Jonathan holding his lower back and leaning forward.

"Hey are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. I think I pulled something pushing your car today".

"Hang on, I have just the thing".

She got a jar out of her medicine cabinet and came over to the couch.

"Take your shirt off".

He pulled his shirt off over his head and she began to rub the stuff from the jar all over his lower back. She started massaging his lower back in circles with her thumbs.

"Oh that feels so good".

"Your back is so tight. You definitely pulled something".

She rubbed on his back for a little bit and he finally started to loosen up.

"What's the stuff you put on my back?"

"Old family recipe".

"Well, you should market it and sell it, it's amazing".

She went and got a warm washcloth and wiped his back off for him.

"Ok, how does that feel?"

"Much better, thanks".

He put his shirt back on while she was cleaning up.

"Well, I better go. Thanks for helping me out".

"You helped me out more than I helped you out, that's for sure".

He gave her a quick hug and then headed out.

She locked the door behind him and sat down on the couch, thinking how strange the events of the day had been.

***The next day***

Jennifer was at work, working on layout issues when the phone rang.

"Hello, this is Jennifer Edwards."

"Hi, this is Martin from Crawley's. I looked over your car, and you have several issues. First, you have a bent axle and a flat tire. And your transmission is hanging off, but I'm pretty sure that just needs a new bolt and screw. What I'm really worried about is your engine. It needs a new rod. Altogether, you are looking at a grand total of $4892.76. I can have it ready for you by the end of the week".

"Ok, let me think about it and I'll call you back".

"Certainly, I'll be here".

She hung up and called Jonathan.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you busy?"

"Not terribly. Everything alright?"

"Martin just called from Crawley's about my car. How reputable do you think he is?"

"I've never had a problem with him at all, why, what did he tell you?"

"That I need a new axle, a new tire, and that my transmission only needs a new bolt and screw, but he said my engine threw a rod, and the price he quoted me seems a little steep".

"How much did he quote you?"

"$4900. He said he would need till the end of the week, which is great because I will need that long to scrape together the funds".

"I would trust him, he's never steered me wrong".

"Ok thanks. I'll let you go, I should probably call him back".

"Bye Jennifer".

"Bye Jonathan".

She hung up and called Martin back.

"Ok do it. I'll pay you when I pick it up".

"I'll call you when it's ready".

"Thank you".

She got up and closed the office door, and then returned to her desk.

She quickly dialed a number.

"Stephen Edwards, please".

A few minutes later, he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Pa, hi. It's me, Jennifer".

"Hello sweetheart, how are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm in a bit of jam, though. My car had some unexpected repairs that have come up, and I was wondering if you could transfer some money into my savings so that I can cover it".

"Jennifer, we had an agreement, and you went back on that. So, I'm sorry sweetheart, you will have to figure it out yourself".

"Pa, that agreement was 8 years ago. And it wasn't fair to begin with and you know it. And not once in the 8 years since, have I asked you for anything".

"You figured it out the other times, you can figure it out now. I have to go, sweetheart. I love you".

He hung up before she could say anything.


	7. Chapter 7

***Two days later***

Jonathan left the office early and headed to Crawley's to get a quick oil change.

Martin came up to him.

"Hi Mr. Hart. What brings you in today?"

"Just an oil change, Martin".

"We can do it in 30 minutes".

"Great".

"Oh and thanks for recommending us to your friend. If you talk to her before I do, can you tell her that we don't buy cars from people? I haven't had a chance to return her call".

"Oh you mean Jennifer? She wants you to buy her car?"

"Yeah, I gave her the total, and she called back and told me to do it, and then she called back and asked if we could purchase her car from her."

"That's strange".

"I got the feeling that she was having a hard time coming up with the payment. But the repairs her car needs are vital. I can't knowingly send someone out of here with a busted engine".

"It's ok Martin. I'll tell her".

He got his oil change and then paid the bill and headed out.

***Jennifer***

Jennifer was at the paper, working.

"Miss Edwards, Martin from Crawley's is on the phone for you".

"Thanks".

She picked it up.

"Hello, this is Jennifer Edwards".

"Hi Miss Edwards. Your car is ready".

"Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can".

Shannon saw the look on her face and could tell she was worried.

"What is it?"

"Well, my car broke down, and had to go into the shop. Jonathan came and rescued me and told me where to take it because I had no clue where to take it. And the bill is much higher than I can afford, and now it's ready and I don't know how I'm going to pay it".

"Well, just go talk to them. Tell them you can do payment plans. Tell them you will run ads for them in the paper if they will put the cost of the ad towards your car".

"That's a great idea! You're a genius".

"Want a ride to the place? I was just about to leave".

"Yes, please".

Shannon took her and dropped her off.

She was waiting at the desk for Martin.

"You must be Miss Edwards".

"Hi, yes. Now, here's the thing. I so appreciate your being able to fix my car. It's just unfortunate that I'm not able to pay for it all at once. So, I can do payment plans if you're willing, and I can also do a consignment. I work at a newspaper, and I was thinking-if you want to place an ad, I am willing to run it in every edition, and you can take the cost of the ad and put it towards my car".

"There's no need, Miss Edwards. Your bill has been paid for".

"Paid for? What, by who?"

"This note will explain everything".

He put the keys in her hand along with the note, and walked away.

She walked to her car and unlocked it and sat down.

She started it and let the air conditioning blow on her a little bit.

She opened the note.

" _You helped me out, now it's my turn. Drive safely-Jonathan"._

She blinked back tears of gratefulness as she drove home.

When she got home, she figured out what she wanted to do.

She called Jonathan at the office.

"Hello?"

"Hey-I was wondering. Do you want to go to dinner tonight? My treat".

"Sure. Where would you like to go?"

"It's a surprise. What time can I pick you up?"

"How about 6:30?"

"Sounds great. And I'll come to your house, you don't have to pick me up".

"Ok, see you then".

They hung up and she went to get ready.

She selected an off the shoulder black dress with a sweetheart neckline. She put on black sheer stockings and black heels, and curled her hair to perfection.

He showed up right on time.

"Hi".

"Hi. You look absolutely gorgeous".

"Thank you. We can go in my car if you want, unless you are more comfortable in yours".

"I'm fine in yours".

She drove them to the fanciest restaurant she could think of-Bay View Palm Steakhouse.

"Oh, I haven't been here in ages! Great choice!"

They walked inside and were shown to their table.

The waiter came and brought them some menus.

"We have an updated price list and a new wine list. I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu".

The prices were about $30 higher than they had been when Jonathan was there last.

"Jennifer, if you want a good meal, we can definitely go somewhere cheaper".

"No, I told myself that I was going to take you to the fanciest restaurant in town, and that's what I'm doing".

They placed their order and then she turned to him.

"So, I appreciate you paying for my car. I can pay you back over time, if that's ok with you. I have $1000 to pay you now".

"You don't have to pay me back, Jennifer".

"I want to. You were kind enough to give me a ride home the other day, but I never expected you to pay for the repairs too".

"You helped me out with my back, so we are even".

"Jonathan, there is no way you expect me to believe that I gave you a $4800 massage. Now come on".

"Jennifer, it's ok."

"Let me pay you back in installments. This is important to me. Please?"

"Ok, fine. But instead of paying me with actual cash, you can pay me back with something else".

"I beg your pardon".

"I didn't mean that. I meant time. You and I will have a standing dinner date, every Sunday night. 49 dinner dates, and then your debt will be paid off".

"Ok, it's a deal. But we go dutch to those, or I pay for you."

"I can agree to that".

They shook on it and then enjoyed the rest of their evening.

She drove them back to her apartment afterwards, and invited him in.

He only stayed a few minutes and then said he had to go.

"Thank you for dinner".

"Thank you for rescuing me with my car".

She stepped forward and gave him a long hug. He couldn't believe how good it felt to hold her.

"I'll see you tomorrow night. Thanks again".

She locked the door behind him and went to change for bed.

' _Tomorrow night. I just can't wait for tomorrow night'._

***Thursday***

Jennifer showed up to Singles who Mingle a little early. She had volunteered to do nametags.

She got all set up, and started doing nametags as soon as people came in.

Jonathan came in last.

"Hi".

"Hi. Here's your nametag".

"Thanks".

Toya flashed the lights signaling the start of the meeting.

"This week we are going to do something different. Ladies on the left, Men on the right".

Jennifer went and found a seat on the left side. Jonathan went and found a seat on the right.

Toya had the women come up with a list of the top ten qualities they find appealing in a man. She had the men come up with the top ten qualities they find appealing in a woman.

Both sides presented their ideas in a debate, and it sparked some genuine conversation.

Just before the end of the meeting, Toya stood up.

"Ok, now, this Saturday, we are having a pool party at Holly's home. The address is 8854 York Avenue. Ladies, bring an appetizer. Men, bring dessert. Now, I'm going to pass out numbers to each side. Find the person with the corresponding number, and your homework assignment for this week is for the men to take the lady with their number for coffee. And ladies, you are to plan an outdoor activity for the guy with your number. Have a good week, see you Saturday".

Jonathan got his number and went and found his match. She was brunette, tall, very attractive.

"Hi, I'm Jonathan".

"Hello. I'm Stacey".

They stepped aside to chat.

Meanwhile, Jennifer found her match. He was tall, blonde, and very broad shouldered. His name was Adam, and he had the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

"Hi, I'm Jennifer".

"Hi, I'm Adam".

Jonathan and Stacey made a coffee date for Monday, while Jennifer and Adam made a coffee date for Sunday afternoon.

She caught up with him when he was almost to his car.

"Hey. Are you going to the pool party?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about it. Are you?"

"I think so".

"Great. So what do you think of your match?"

"She seems nice. We are having coffee on Monday".

"Wonderful".

"What about your match?"

"His name is Adam. And we are having coffee Sunday afternoon. He seems nice".

"That's great. Listen, I know it's last minute, but there's a charity thing I have to go to tomorrow night. Would you be interested in going with me? My company will pay for your ticket if you go. It's just dinner, dancing if we want to, and there's a silent auction. All the proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Zoo".

"Certainly. That sounds lovely".

"Pick you up at 7?"

"Sure. I'll be ready".

"Great, see you then".

He held the door to her car open for her and after she drove away, he went to his own car and headed home.

For the first time in a very, very long time, he felt truly happy. He didn't even realize that he was smiling.

***Friday***

Jennifer left work at 5, and hurried home. She took a quick shower and dried her hair and then picked out a dress. She finally selected a bright blue sculpted halter dress with a black lace edge. She put on some black peep toe heels, and sprayed on some perfume.

Jonathan arrived right on time.

He knocked on the door and she let him in.

"Hi, come on in. I'm almost ready".

She was switching purses.

"Is it an open bar or a cash bar?"

"Cash bar."

"Got it".

She shoved some bills into her purse along with her wallet, keys and lipstick.

"Ok, I'm ready".

She looked over and he was staring at her.

"What?"

"You're so beautiful".

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Well thank you".

She locked the door behind them, and he walked her to the car and opened the door for her.

He slid into the driver's seat.

"Jonathan, can we try something? If it doesn't work, we can stop. But I think we ought to give it a try".

"Sure".

He backed them out of the parking space, while she turned on the radio.

She could tell he was nervous, but he didn't stop her.

She found them a fun station with lots of songs that they could sing along to and she could tell he loosened up a little bit.

They were pretty quiet except for singing with the radio on the way to the venue.

He pulled them up to a ballroom that overlooked the water and found them a parking spot.

He turned the car off.

She put her hand on his arm.

"See, we listened to the radio, and we got here just fine."

"Yeah, we did. Thank you".

He came around and opened the door for her and helped her out.

They walked inside and checked in.

"Silent auction will start in ten minutes. Bar is open now, as are the food stations. Thanks for coming and have a good night".

"Thank you".

They found their table and headed to the bar to get a drink.

They both got plates afterwards and sat down and ate. Some of his employees came over to speak to him.

"Hello, Mr. Hart".

"Hello Stanley. Stanley, this is my best friend Jennifer Edwards. Jennifer, this is Stanley Friesen, he works for me. And this is one of my accountants, Ben Stowver".

"Hi, nice to meet you both".

She ate while he chatted with them.

By the time they left their table, she was finished.

He finished his plate and then someone came and asked him to dance.

He turned to Jennifer.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all".

Jonathan danced with 16 women in a row, none of them Jennifer. Jennifer sat at the table by herself, all night.

Finally at the end of the evening, he came back to the table.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded.

They walked to the car, and got in.

He drove them home and noticed she was being very quiet.

He pulled them up into a spot at her apartment.

She jumped out of the car and yelled "Goodnight" before he could get out of the car.

She hurried inside and headed for bed.

He was torn as to whether or not he should go after her or not. He finally decided to wait and talk to her at the pool party tomorrow.

***Saturday***

Jennifer showed up to the pool party about 10 minutes early. She was wearing cuffed jean shorts and a pastel green racer back tank top. She had a bag with her suit and a towel in it, and she had brought a couple appetizers.

Other people started showing up.

"Jennifer, that looks amazing! What did you bring?"

"Well, this is chicken and waffle sliders. And that is cucumber salsa, and I also made stuffed mushrooms and tortellini pasta salad".

"Oh my goodness! You didn't have to make all this!"

"I know, I didn't mind. I like to make things every now and then".

Just then, Jonathan and a couple of the other guys arrived.

Jennifer poured herself some punch and headed outside.

He followed her.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

She nodded.

"I feel like I did something to offend you last night, and so whatever it was, I apologize".

"Replay the evening in your head, Jonathan. Tell me what you see".

"Well, we got to the venue, and then we got a drink and some food, and then I was dancing and then we went home".

"Exactly. You ignored me all night. And you introduced me to your employees as your best friend. I thought we were more than that. And you promised me dancing, and you danced with everyone in the place but me".

"I'm sorry. I promise, I'll make it up to you".

"How? By taking me somewhere else and ignoring me there? No thanks".

"No, that's not what I meant. Look, I said I was sorry. That's all I can do. I promise, next time we go somewhere, I'll only dance with you".

"That's IF we go somewhere".

"What do you mean?"

"We're only best friends, remember?"

She walked over to the tables and sat down. Other people came out and started jumping into the pool, so Jennifer took her tank top off and then stood up and stepped out of her shorts. She was wearing a dark green bandeau top with a ruffle layer, and black bikini bottoms.

She climbed into the pool and went and sat on one of the ledges. Pretty soon, all the single guys were flocked around her.

Jonathan pulled his shirt off and then stepped out of his shorts. He was wearing tight red swim briefs.

He climbed into the pool and went to sit by Jennifer.

Pretty soon, all the single ladies were flocking to Jonathan.

Between the two of them, it became a battle. Who could get the best reaction out of the other one. Holly soon organized some pool games, and they were all guys against the girls.

Jennifer was the lead scorer for water volleyball. Jonathan was the lead scorer for water basketball.

Jennifer got out after awhile and laid out on a chair.

The party lasted till well after dark, and then everyone started going home.

Jennifer was inside helping Holly clean up.

Jonathan waited in the living room till she was finished and then walked out with her.

"This was a fun party".

"Yeah, it was".

"Listen, the night's still young. Why don't you go home and change and then come over to my house? We can watch a movie up in the theater, or we can keep swimming, whatever you want".

"Yeah, I'd like that".

"Ok, well come over whenever you want."

"Thanks, see you in a little bit".

He got home and immediately got to work on making everything perfect.

She got there a little over an hour later.

Max let her in.

"He's in the sunroom".

She walked through the house and out to the sunroom, and found Jonathan standing in the center of the room with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

There were twinkling lights strung all around the room at the ceiling and soft music was playing.

"May I have this dance?"


	8. Chapter 8

Jennifer nodded. She set her purse down and went to him.

He handed her the roses and she put them down on the table.

They danced several dances before the radio station took a break.

"You're a good dancer".

"Not as good as you".

He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close for a minute.

"I'm sorry I didn't dance with you last night. I should have paid more attention to you, and I apologize".

"Thank you".

"Ok, so what do you want to do? Watch a movie? Go swimming?"

"Watch a movie".

"You got it".

They walked upstairs to the theater and picked a movie. He got it all set up and they got their seats ready and then he started the movie.

They were sitting in a double recliner. About 20 minutes into the movie, he reclined them so they were laying flat.

"What are you doing?"

"What I should have done last night. This movie never holds my interest".

He leaned over and caressed her lips with his.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and nibbled on his lower lip while she kissed him.

He shifted his weight so that he was fully stretched out next to her.

He pulled her close to him and resumed kissing her.

They made out all through the movie, and only stopped when the lights automatically turned on at the end.

"We can take this to the bedroom, if you'd like".

"Normally I would say yes. But it's getting late and I have that coffee thing tomorrow. Are we still going to dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, if you want".

"I want, I want. I'll pick you up at 5".

She sat up and got her shoes on, and he walked her downstairs and out to her car.

"Thanks for coming over, and for dancing with me and for watching a movie with me".

He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Thanks for inviting me".

She hugged him for a minute.

"I'll see you tomorrow night".

He held her door open for her and waited till she drove away before going back inside.

***Sunday***

Jennifer went and met Adam for coffee right on time. He was intriguing, polite, sophisticated and charming. She had a wonderful time. After her coffee date, she went home and got ready for her dinner date with Jonathan. She put on a pink strapless sundress and some beige wedges.

She pulled up to his house right at 5. He was wearing a white button down and khaki pants.

"Hi."

"Hi. You look gorgeous".

"Thank you. You cleaned up pretty nice yourself".

They said goodbye to Max and headed out. She let him pick and they ended up at a little dive-bar that served beer on tap and everything from burgers to ribs to seafood.

"So how did your coffee date go?"

"Well, I think. He was very charming."

"That's great".

"When is your date with what's-her-face?"

"Stacey. And it's tomorrow night".

"So our homework this week is to plan an outdoor activity for our coffee date person. What is there to do out here that's outdoors, but isn't the typical beach date?"

"Well, there's a park on Oceanview Lane, that has a nice walking/running/biking trail. And they rent bikes. So you could rent a bike for two or two individual bikes and go bike riding. You could also go rollerblading. And Tuesdays, down at the pier on 84th, they rent jet skis and have a zip line set up. And there's a zip line park and rock climbing park downtown, on the street that runs behind the Beverly Hills Hotel".

"Oh, those are great ideas".

They chatted all through dinner and just really enjoyed each other's company. Finally, around 8, they called it a night. She paid the check, and they walked out to the car.

He convinced her to come inside for a nightcap when they got back to his house.

As soon as they were inside, he made them both a drink, and then they took their cocktails to the back porch.

"I strung up this hammock today. Let's test it out".

"Alright".

She kicked her shoes off and climbed in there with him.

"Ahhh….nice and comfy".

"Yeah, it's pretty great".

She leaned over and put her cocktail on the table and then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Busy week ahead?"

"Well, the 3rd week of every month is always a big week at my job. But it's only crazy on Mondays. So, we have that happening. And then I figured Adam and I could go do our outdoor thing Tuesday night, if he's free. And then Thursday is the meeting."

She looked up at him.

"What about you?"

"Well, tomorrow night I have coffee with Stacey, and then Wednesday, I was thinking if she's agreeable, we could go do our outdoor thing, and then Thursday is the meeting. Haven't figured out the weekend yet".

He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Maybe we can squeeze another movie in there somewhere".

She stayed about another hour and then decided to head home.

He walked her to the car.

"Thanks again for dinner and hanging out".

"Thank you for the cocktail".

She gave him a long hug and then got in the car and headed home.

***Monday***

Jennifer was busy at work all day. All of the articles they had been working on the last month were published in features in today's edition. Almost immediately, sales were increasing; people were calling wanting additional copies, additional ads for the next month. She had never seen the newsroom so busy.

She looked up once and realized that her lunch break should have been 2 hours ago. She quickly grabbed a Snickers and a coke and the next time she looked up again, it was time to go home.

As soon as she got home, she sank into a bubble bath, with the hottest water she could stand. She stayed there till her fingers started to prune. When she finally got out, she barely had any energy to eat dinner, and just crawled into bed. She slept like a rock till her alarm went off the next morning.

***Jonathan***

Jonathan had a long day of meetings at the office and then he met Stacey for coffee. She was enjoyable, certainly beautiful, and very gracious. But she wasn't bubbly like Jennifer. And she was nothing like Pam. She was aggressive, and he got the feeling that "my way or the highway" was a card she played often.

After a lovely coffee date, they exchanged numbers and then he headed home.

He was in the kitchen heating up dinner when Max came in.

"Mr. H., I got something to show you. You might not like it".

"What is it?"

He handed him the latest copy of the LA Chronicle.

"Front page of the Metro section".

Jonathan took the paper to the table and turned to the Metro section.

"CEO of Hart Industries Regularly Discriminates Against Employees" was the headline.

He could feel his blood boiling as he read the article. If there was anything Jonathan Hart was, as a person but especially as a boss, it was fair. He always did what was best for everyone involved, not just him or one person.

He made it through the article and then went and poured himself a scotch.

He picked up his phone and called his lawyer.

"We are suing the Chronicle for libel, and we are going to demand a retraction and an apology. And I think I might just go meet with the editor face to face and see if I can figure out where they got their facts".

He and his lawyer strategized for about 20 minutes and then hung up.

He ate his dinner silently and then headed to bed.

***Tuesday***

Jonathan got to the office early and everyone was buzzing and giving him weird looks. Deanne brought his coffee in.

"So, I take it you saw the article?"

"Yeah, I saw it. And I think it's incredibly biased and unfair and unfounded".

"And what about the other one?"

"What other one?"

She went and got him a copy of yesterday's paper. On the inside of the front section was an article about a businessman who regularly took advantage of women in his office.

"Everyone thinks this is about me?"

"I think they are wondering, speculating if it is you".

"Well it's not. Send a memo that there is a mandatory meeting this afternoon in the gallery for all employees at 4 p.m. And I'm going to head to the Chronicle right now to meet the editor and see what proof they can give me".

He stormed out of the office without another word.

***LA Chronicle***

Jennifer got to the Chronicle about 20 minutes early.

"Morning everyone. I brought donuts and muffins for everyone. Help yourselves".

She was in her office when the phone started ringing.

"Hello, this is Jennifer Edwards….hi, sir. Yes, I can meet with you this afternoon. 4 p.m., got it. See you then".

She hung up.

She started reorganizing her file cabinet and had her back to the door when someone knocked.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for the editor".

"That's me".

She turned around.

"You?! You are the editor?"

"Hi Jonathan. What's going on?"

He slammed her door.

"Hey take it easy".

"Take it easy? You printed an article defaming me and my company and you want me to take it easy?1?"

"I did no such thing! You take that back!"

"I will not take that back. And if you have a copy of yesterday's paper I'll be more than happy to show you where you did print an article defaming me and my company. And then after I show that to you, you better show me what proof you have, or so help me God, I'll tie you up in litigation till you're 90!"

She handed him a copy of the paper and sat back in her chair. She had a smug look on her face.

"By all means, show me what the hell you're talking about".

"Gladly".

He flipped through the paper.

"Article 1. Here you go".

"The one about Hart Industries?"

"Yeah. I'm Jonathan Hart".

"Oh. I had no idea. Let me explain".

"Please do".

"One of my reporters came to me during a staff meeting with an idea that she wanted to try. She stated that she had heard that the CEO of a company discriminates and only gives promotions and jobs to men, so she wanted to do an expose and see if that was true. I gave her the greenlight, but we never talked about the name of the company. If I had known she was talking about you, I would have never given her the ok. And she came to me just last week at the end of the assignment and stated that she didn't personally feel discriminated against, but that she had heard from more than one person that they did feel discriminated against. If you would like to talk to her, I can call her in here".

"Thank you".

She buzzed Lillianna, the receptionist.

"Hi, please send Kelsey in here".

A few minutes later, Lillianna knocked on the door.

"Hi, Kelsey had to slip out for a dental appointment. But she said these are all the notes she took and the rough draft of her article that Shannon signed off on".

"Thanks, that's perfect".

She took the notes to her desk and started leafing through it.

"Ok, so the first person she mentions is someone named Angela Hayes. She says she was an accountant for your company and she applied for a promotion several times, and not only didn't she get it, she was basically doing the job that she wanted unpaid for 5 months before you promoted Daniel Wilkins to the position".

"Ok, go on".

"And the next person she spoke to is Terrance Simpson, who works in maintenance. He says he needs daytime hours, but he keeps getting turned down and is always on night shift. He's also the only African-American employee that is always on the night shift. She also spoke with Linda Barton, Patricia Holliday, and Neal Robertson."

She handed the notes to him.

"Here, look for yourself".

He read over it and then put it back on her desk.

"There are outstanding circumstances to all of these incidents. And not once did your reporter come and ask me my side of any of them".

"That's fair. And on her behalf, I apologize."

"I want a retraction".

"No, I don't think we will be doing that".

"Excuse me?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of having her interview you, for part 2. You can give your side of the story."

"Fine. I'll go along with that".

"Good. I'll have her call you and set it up".

"Now about the other article".

"What other article?"

"The one about me being a womanizer. I demand an apology and a retraction on that one, and I'm not taking no for an answer. And if you refuse, I am prepared to sue you for libel. I will name you personally, as well as the reporter and the paper as a whole. And by the way, with the legal team I have, I'll win".

"How dare you come here and threaten me?! If my reporters dug up something on you that you wish they hadn't, that's not my fault, it's yours".

"It is your fault! You didn't have to print it!"

"You didn't have to be a womanizer!"

"I'm not a womanizer! This article says they were attacked on his couch. I've never attacked a woman on my couch, ever".

"Oh, save it for the media room, do you?"

"That's low, and you know it."

"I think it's pretty accurate. And I think the article is accurate as well".

"How can you say that? Do you really see me as the type of person who preys on women?"

"I see you as the type of person who has no idea what he wants. One minute, you're pursuing the woman, making her feel loved and desired. And the next minute, you just want to be friends. And about 5 minutes later, you are shoving your tongue down her throat".

"That's a completely different situation and you know it. You and I have a relationship, Jennifer. This article insinuates that I force myself on every woman that comes within arms' reach".

"Do we have a relationship? Or is it just a friendship today? Forgive me for not being able to keep up".

"So that's why you did this-you are getting back at me because you think I'm not interested. Well let me tell you something-portraying me as a predator isn't going to make me fall in love with you, Jennifer. You are way off the mark. I thought you were smarter than that".

"And you just crossed the line. This conversation is over-get out".

"Fine. Next time you want to watch a movie, go to the actual theater".

"Fine, I will!"

He stormed out, and she sat there fuming.

About 15 minutes later, she got up and got the notes from Amy's article and read through them.

A few minutes later, she buzzed Lillianna.

"Can you send Amy to my office, please?"

"Right away".

Amy came in a few minutes later.

"Hi, you wanted to see me?"

"Hi, have a seat. I have to ask you something. Keep in mind I'm only asking you because we are facing litigation over your article. So, I need you to tell me-was the name of the businessman in your article Jonathan Hart?"  
"No, it wasn't. I have met Mr. Hart in person out in public a few times. He's been nothing but kind to me each and every time".

"Great, glad to hear it. Now, I'm going to call him and put you on speaker-if you could repeat that, I would appreciate it".

"Certainly".

She handed her a legal pad and a pen.

"And if you could write that out after this phone call, that would be good too".

She dialed Jonathan's number.

"Hello?

"Hi. Hear me out. I have the reporter here, who wrote the article about the predatory businessman. You're on speaker, and she has something to say to you".

"Go ahead".

"Hi, my name is Amy O'Rourke. I am the reporter that wrote that article. It wasn't about you at all. I have actually met you a few times out in public at various events, and you have always been nothing but kind and polite to me, the complete opposite of what the person in my article is like. I apologize for any confusion my article caused you".

"Thank you".

"I'm hanging up now, Jonathan. Bye".

"Jenni-"

Click.

Amy wrote out her statement and Lillianna notarized it and Jennifer put it in the filing cabinet.

Around 3:50 she headed upstairs to her boss's office.

"Hi, come on in".

She came in and sat down.

"We have gotten several complaints and threats of lawsuits over the articles that were published in yesterday's paper. So, we need to wade through all of that".

She nodded.

"Let's start with the Jonathan Hart article."

"I met with him this morning and got him to agree to a second part-he will give a personal interview giving his side of the story. He states that there are other factors that influenced all of those decisions, and I agree with him that the reporter should have at least gotten a statement from him. And from reading the rough draft, it appears that Kelsey, the writer, added at the bottom that she had not personally experienced any discrimination, but Shannon, my assistant editor, cut that paragraph for space reasons. So I assure you that it will be included in the second part".

"And what about the article about the womanizing businessman?"

"It's not about him. I have a notarized statement to that effect".

"Who is it about?"

"I am not aware of that. Amy, the writer, told me that as soon as an indictment is handed down, she will reveal who it is".

"Do you realize that we make 90% of our money from the ads we sell and the subscriptions? Companies subscribe to us and they don't just get one copy, Jennifer, they get 100's. Every day. And since I got here this morning, I have had 40 companies call and cancel their subscriptions. I have had Mr. Hart's legal team threatening to sue if there's not a retraction or an apology. I need you to tell me who the article is about".

"I cannot do that. I don't know who it's about".

"I think you do".

"Well, I promise you, I don't".

"Ok, well since you refuse to divulge the information, I am going to agree with Mr. Hart's legal team. Jennifer, you've been a great editor, and you are definitely a wonderful employee. But I'm sorry, you're fired".

Jennifer was stunned.


	9. Chapter 9

Jennifer was stunned.

"You have till the end of tomorrow to clean out your desk".

She got up and left his office without another word.

It took her about 3 hours to clean out her desk.

When she was finished, she loaded her car and then headed home.

Halfway home, she changed her mind and turned around.

***Jonathan***

Jonathan was working late, as he had had a very late board meeting.

He was in his office, preparing to go home when he heard the elevator ding.

The next thing he knew, Jennifer was coming through the door.

"Hi".

She didn't say a word. She just came over and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

His face really stung after that, she had really walloped him good.

"How dare you?! Some friend you are! I give you proof that you ask for, I do everything I can to fix this, and you still call my boss and have him fire me? Jonathan Hart, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but don't misunderstand me when I tell you this-I will never trust you again".

She wiped the tears away as she stormed out of his office.

***The next day***

Jennifer woke up around 8:30 and took a shower.

After the first cup of coffee, she decided to start looking through the want ads.

She didn't really find anything, so she started looking for freelance editors and made a few appointments with them.

Her phone rang around 11.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Adam. Are we still on for tonight?"

"Yeah, we are. How about we go tackle the climbing wall downtown?"

"Sounds great. I'll pick you up at 6".

"Actually, my apartment is pretty hard to find the first couple times. Why don't I meet you there?"

"Ok, that's fine. See you then".

"Bye Adam".

"Bye Jennifer".

Around 1, the head of HR called.

"Hi, I have been instructed to give you a severance. It's a one-time lump sum, and you can pick it up anytime today".

"Can you leave it with Lillianna?"

"Certainly".

"Thank you".

Around 3, she went and picked it up.

She pulled into the parking lot and got out. She went to the payphone and called the newsroom.

"Lillianna, it's Jennifer. Can you bring the envelope from HR outside, please? I don't want to come in and see everyone".

A few minutes later, everyone from the newsroom came outside.

"We just want you to know we love you. And we told Mr. Owen this morning, that if you go, we go. We don't want to work for anyone else, and what they did to you was unfair".

"You guys are the best".

Shannon handed her the envelope.

"Ok everyone, hug her and then back to work."

They all gave her hugs and then slowly went back inside.

Amy whispered something in her ear when she hugged her.

Jennifer looked at her in shock.

"Really? Actually, I'm not surprised".

Shannon was last.

"I'm so sorry. I cut the paragraph for space reasons, and I felt like cutting the statement that she made was ok, because I figured her story of discrimination would have been in there if she had one and it was the wrong call and I'm so sorry. I went to Owen, but he refused to budge".

"It's ok. It's not your fault."

"Is Jonathan really mad?"

"He was pissed. This effectively ended whatever relationship we had".

"I thought you were just friends".

"Yeah, so did I, because he said that. But apparently, we are friends who make out and do everything but undress each other, whatever that is. I guess you could say we were friends with like 1/5 the benefits".

Shannon chuckled.

"Were?"

"Yeah. He recommended that Owen fire me, so I went to Jonathan and really unloaded on him and told him I was never going to trust him ever again".

"Well, when you land on your feet, call me and tell me where that is. I'm with them, I don't want to work here without you".

"You are too kind".

They shared a final hug and then she got in the car and headed to the bank.

***Jonathan***

Jonathan was at his desk when Deanne buzzed him.

"Jennifer Edwards is here to see you".

"Send her in".

The door opened and Jennifer walked in.

"I don't have time to talk, nor do I have the interest. Here is a cashier's check, paying you back in full for the balance that I owe you for what you paid on my car. This will effectively kill our Sunday night dinner arrangement. Bye Jonathan".

She turned and walked out before he could say a word, and headed home.

***A couple hours later***

Jennifer and Adam had a blast at the climbing wall. They had 5 different walls to choose from, and they did them all.

He followed her home and parked right next to her.

He got out and walked her towards the door and put his arm around her as he did.

"Thanks for a lovely evening".

"Thanks for making it so lovely".

He leaned down and kissed her very tenderly.

It was a nice kiss, and he definitely had soft lips, which Jennifer preferred.

He unlocked the door for her, and after she was safely inside, he told her goodnight.

"I'll save you a seat tomorrow night at the meeting".

"Thanks, I'd like that".

***Thursday***

Jonathan got to the meeting early, hoping to get a chance to talk to Jennifer.

Instead, he saw her walk in with Adam. He felt sick to his stomach, watching them together. Adam had his arm around her, and Jennifer was obviously smitten with him.

He decided to keep his distance and just get through the meeting, although leaving and going home certainly crossed his mind.

Stacey came and sat by him and kept trying to hold his hand. He finally got tired of fighting her on it and just gave in, even though it was Jennifer's hand he wanted to hold instead.

At the end of the evening, Toya announced the week's assignment.

"Take the person you took to coffee out for dinner and dancing. Have a nice week everyone".

Jonathan stayed and put up chairs. When he walked out, Stacey was waiting for him.

"What took you so long?"

"I was putting up chairs, like I do every week".

"Well next time, let the janitor do it".

She linked her arm through his and they walked to her car which conveniently was parked right next to Jonathans.

"Now, where are you taking me for dinner?"

"I don't know. How about Chez Ritz?"

She scoffed. "You can't be serious. That's only 4 stars. I deserve a 5 star restaurant and I won't settle for anything less".

"Then I guess we aren't going".

He left her standing by her car and went and got in his. He could hear her yelling as he pulled out but he didn't care.

He drove home, thinking about Jennifer the whole way.

***Friday***

Jennifer was at home. After a quick review of her finances, she realized she wasn't going to be able to afford the apartment much longer if she didn't get a job, and soon. She decided to pack up some of her non-essentials.

Around 11:45, there was a knock at the door.

She went and opened it and found Max.

"Max! What are you doing here?"

"Mr. H. sent me. May I come in?"

"Of course".

She let him in and he set some things down in the kitchen.

"Mr. H. asked me to bring you lunch. There's a note here from him as well. Instructions on how to heat all this up are on top".

"Thanks, Max. I hope you didn't go to any trouble".

"Out of all the women he's brought home, you're my favorite. Trust me, where you are concerned, Miss Edwards, it's never any trouble".

He kissed her cheek.

"Hope you enjoy your lunch".

He saw himself out.

She opened the note first.

" _Please call me-I think we need to get some things out in the open and resolved. I promise you, I'm not looking for an argument, just the opposite. Jonathan"._

Max was in the car, headed home.

He picked up the car phone and called Jonathan.

"I delivered everything just like you said. If you don't mind me saying so, Mr. H., I think you better fix it and fast. She was packing up her apartment".

"Thanks, Max".

He thought a moment, and then grabbed his coat and keys and headed out of the office.

***Jennifer's apartment***

Jennifer was in the kitchen, heating up her lunch that Max had brought. He had made enough to last several days, which would save her on groceries. He had made several pieces of grilled chicken, a salad, and some wild rice.

She had just gotten her plate out of the microwave when there was another knock at the door.

She went and opened it and found Jonathan on the other side.

"Hi. May I come in?"

She stepped back and nodded.

He came in and put his jacket on the back of the couch.

"How's your lunch?"

"I haven't eaten it yet".

"I see".

She took her plate to the table.

"Listen, I came to apologize. I was way out of line in your office, and I didn't mean the things I said. Especially about your intelligence, I really didn't mean that. I was just angry. I should have kept my cool, and I'm sorry".

"The things you said? Jonathan, you threatened me. And then you practically forced my boss to fire me".

"I never spoke with your boss. My legal team did. If they suggested that you get fired, I have no knowledge of it".

"That almost sounds like an apology. Close, but no cigar".

"Jennifer, come on. You can't expect to not have any consequences because of all this".

"On the contrary. It's called journalism, Jonathan. If you go back and re read the articles, none of it is conjecture. Every bit of it is fact".

"Oh, it's called Journalism? How about calling it respect for others? Or consideration for a friend? You could have given me a heads up that you were printing an article about me".

"I didn't know I was printing an article about you. I explained all that".

"How could you not know?"

"I never knew your last name, for starters. And she never told me what company she was focusing on. I didn't ask her and I didn't sign off on the article before it went to print, my assistant editor did. That's how".

"Fine, I'll give you that one".

"No thank you, I don't want it. What happened to what you said in your note, that you weren't looking for an argument?"

"I'm not. You're right".

She took her plate to the sink.

"Well, unless you are here to help me pack, then this conversation is over".

"I can definitely help you pack. On one condition".

"I'm listening".

"You tell me why you are moving".

"Because I got fired, remember? I can't afford to keep this apartment unless I find a job and so far, I haven't found one".

"Where will you go?"

"I have no idea".

"Jennifer, don't you think this is a little premature?"

"No, I don't".

He went to the couch and picked up his jacket and got her cashier's check out of his inside pocket.

"Take this to live on till you find something".

"Jonathan-no. I don't want a handout".

"It's not a handout. It's a handback".

She smirked at him.

"I would rather have dinner with you every Sunday than for you to pay me in full like this".

"Are you sure about that? I mean, today that might be what you want, but how will you feel Sunday?"

"That's fair. And for the record, I do know how I feel. I just didn't think you would want to know about it".

"Why wouldn't I want to know?"

"Because you've apparently moved on with that Adam guy".

"Me enjoying myself with Adam doesn't mean I forgot about you, Jonathan. He and I have only been out twice".

She went to the bedroom and started packing a box of winter clothes.

He followed her.

"You know, you keep busting my chops for how I feel about you. Have you even tried to figure out how you feel about me?"

"I know how I feel about you. And trust me, after having thrown myself at you twice, I won't be going for the threepeat. Ball's in your court, Jonathan".

He was quiet.

"Ok, you know what, this is hard enough. Either tell me how you feel or get out".

"You really want to know how I feel? Fine. I'll tell you. You are all I think about. I can't get you out of my head, and it scares me to death. Watching you at the meeting last night, while he put his arm around you, all I could think about was that it should have been me. It drives me crazy seeing him and the other guys flock to you, when it should be me protecting you and loving you and holding you. I am so tired of this casual thing we have. And yes, I know I'm the one that initiated it. But I want more, I need more. And I want it and need it with you. Once I left the orphanage, I kind of stepped away from religion, because I had had enough to last me a lifetime. I am not a religious person, and I don't exactly know what I believe or don't believe, but I do think there is a heaven and a hell. And I refuse to believe that Pam is anywhere but in heaven, and I also refuse to believe that she didn't orchestrate this between us. I think she sent you to me, and I'll do anything in my power to make it work between us. I am hopelessly in love with you, Jennifer".

She stepped forward and pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you too".


	10. Chapter 10

Jonathan grabbed Jennifer's face and kissed her with a level of passion that neither of them had ever known possible. Jennifer felt like she was on top of the world by the time the kiss ended.

She took his hand and led him around to the side of the bed.

She picked up the boxes on the bed and tossed them on the floor and then pulled him onto the bed with her.

"We have some things to figure out".

She nodded.

"How much longer do you have on your lease here?"

"4 months".

"Ok. So hear me out. I want you to take the cashier's check and use that to pay your rent. And when your lease runs out, if you still haven't found a job, I'll help you out till you do".

"I can't ask you to do that".

"You aren't. I'm offering. And if you don't want to accept the money from me, then how about calling your dad?"

"No, that won't work. He cut me off financially a long time ago over an agreement".

"An agreement?"

"It's a long story. But the gist of it is, I didn't go where he wanted me to for college, and then I wouldn't agree to marry who he wanted me to marry, so he told me that unless and until I married him, he would no longer financially support me. It's been about 8 years since that happened. And he hasn't given me a penny since then, for anything."

"Who did he want you to marry?"

"Well, my father is an art dealer. And he was approached by a businessman, and the businessman offered him a deal, that he would put his art collections in the lobby of his businesses and promote my father's gallery, in exchange for a cut of the profits and me marrying him. So, I was in town and my dad had the guy over for dinner. And he was charming and handsome and debonair. So, I agreed to go on a date with him. One date led to another which led to another, and by the 5th date, I was starting to see his true colors. Grabbing the waitresses bottom in a restaurant, always just a little too flirty with the women in his office. So, I broke things off with him and refused to take his phone calls. And when my father found out, he was livid. He said I was 'compromising his business and his livelihood'. We argued, and his final attempt at getting me to marry this guy was to threaten to not financially support me unless I agreed to marry him. I refused, and he went to the bank the next day. He removed his name from my account, removed my name from his accounts, and changed the terms of the family trust so that I only get my share when he passes away".

"I see. Who is this businessman?"

"Well, just between us, he's the subject of the article that you thought was about you. I found out from the writer yesterday. It's Elliott Manning".

"I'm not surprised. He's a pompous ass".

She leaned forward and hugged him.

"I'm sorry Jonathan. I never meant to hurt you. And I swear, when you were in my office, I didn't know it was about him. It wasn't until I had Amy in my office right before we called you that I knew definitively that it wasn't about you. And I'm sorry I slapped you".

"It's ok. I was the one who wasn't fair. You were just doing your job".

She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Ok, so we have some other options. I know some freelance editors, I've used some at the office before. I can give them a call and see if they will meet with you. Or, I can buy a magazine and hire you to run it".

"I kind of like the option of freelance".

"Ok, get a resume together, and some copies of your work, and I'll make some phone calls and see if they will at least interview you".

She kissed him.

"I don't deserve you".

"Now, in the meantime, let's get you unpacked, because you aren't going anywhere anytime soon".

She unpacked the winter clothes box, and then he helped her take the other boxes to her storage closet.

"Do you have to go back to the office today?"

"For a meeting at 4, but that's it".

"Well, if I can get my resume written, I might run down to the library and type it really fast".

"Come to the office with me. I can give you an office and all the equipment you need for free".

"It's a deal".

He handed her the cashier's check so she could put it in her purse.

"Jonathan, we need to amend our dinner agreement".

"Ok how's this? From now on, our agreement is that you and I will have dinner together on Sundays. You aren't obligated to pay for it".

"Just until I get a job again, alright?"

"Alright".

She kissed him and put the check in her purse.

She sat down on the couch and began digging through a box of papers she brought with her from the office.

She handed him a few stacks of papers.

"Can you look for anything that has my name on it in the top right corner, please?"

"Sure".

They looked through the whole box and found several things that she had written.

She selected 4 of them and set them aside and then packed the box back up.

She dug out her resume and put it in a file with the other samples.

"I have an idea".

"What's that?"

"What if you come to the office with me, and I take you to dinner afterwards, and then you come stay with me at my place tonight?"

"Are you sure Max won't mind?"

"Mind? He will love it. I mean, he loves you, and he will love having you around. Plus, it's Friday, so he usually goes to a late-night poker game".

She nodded.

"How did your outdoor thing with Stacey go?"

"It didn't. She said she refuses to do anything where she gets sweaty. And then she wanted me to take her to dinner last night after the meeting, but when she demanded that it be a 5 star restaurant, I told her no and left".

"Good for you".

She went and changed clothes, and then they headed to his office.

***Hart Industries***

They stepped off the elevator and he walked her to his office.

"This is Deanne, my secretary. Deanne, this is Jennifer Edwards, my girlfriend. Anytime she calls, you can put her through right away, no matter what".

"Hi, it's nice to meet you".

"Lovely to meet you as well".

"Do we have any vacant offices today?"

"Yes, 1204 and 1208".

"Great, thank you".

They walked down the hall and got her set up in 1204.

"When you are finished, you can come back to my office. If I'm in my meeting still, make yourself at home. I'll meet you there when I'm done".

"Thank you".

She kissed him and sat down and got to work.

It didn't take her very long to beef up her resume. She also edited and proofread some of her articles and then made her way down to Jonathan's office.

"Hi Deanne. Can you please show me how to use the copier?"

"Sure, Miss Edwards. Or if you want, I can make your copies for you".

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I don't mind at all".

"Ok wonderful. I need 10 copies of this, and 10 copies of each of these. They are all separated by paper clips".

"Got it. I'll be right back".

Jennifer went into Jonathan's office and sat at his desk.

She found a stack of post-it notes and drew a heart on one and wrote "I love you-Me" underneath it and stuck it in his center drawer.

She grabbed one of his legal pads and started jotting down ideas for future articles.

Jonathan came about 20 minutes later.

"There you are. Get everything done?"

"Yes, I'm just waiting on Deanne-she's making me some copies".

"Perfect".

Deanne came back then and after they had everything, they left.

Jonathan dropped Jennifer off at her apartment.

"Get dressed up, I'll make the reservations. I'll pick you up in an hour. I love you".

"I love you too. And why don't I drive to your house in an hour?"

"Sure, if you want".

She kissed him a couple times and then got out.

An hour later, she was packed for the weekend and all ready to go.

She got to her car and started it, but it wouldn't start.

She tried a few times and then went back inside and called Jonathan.

"Hello?"  
"Hi Max. Is Jonathan there?"

"Yeah, he's in the shower."

"Listen. I was supposed to come to the house to meet him, but my car died. So can you ask him to come pick me up if it's not too much trouble?"

"I can come pick you up. I'm on my way".

"Thanks, Max".

She hung up the phone and went outside to wait for him.

20 minutes later, he pulled up.

"Hi Max. Thanks for coming".

He took a look at her car and couldn't get it to start either.

She threw her bag into Max's car and slid into the passenger seat.

Max got in the driver's seat.

"You have a lot of trouble with your car?"

"I didn't use to. But here lately, I have started to".

They pulled up to Jonathan's house and went inside.

"Hey, there you are. You ok? Max's note said he had to go get you".  
"My car died. So I called you to see if you could come get me, and he answered and volunteered".

"Thanks Max".

Jonathan ran her bag upstairs and then came back down.

"You ready?"  
"Ready when you are".

"See you later, Max".

He led her to the car, and then helped her in.

He slid into the driver's seat.

"How about Japanese?"

"Oh that sounds great".

He drove them to Mirasaki's.

They walked inside.

"Hi, two please, and we'd like a personal table".

"Certainly, right this way".

She led them to a small hibachi table for two.

After they ordered, he put his arm around her.

"So, in the interest of learning everything about you, what haven't you told me?"

"I'm not sure. What would you like to know?"

"When is your birthday?"

"November 2. When is yours?"

"February 10. Where have you always wanted to go, but haven't been?"

"Greece. You?"

"Italy, and Japan".

"I've been to both of those places, they're gorgeous."

They chatted all through dinner, and then Jonathan paid the check and they headed out.

They got back to the house and he made them both a cocktail.

He handed her drink to her, and then toasted her.

"To fresh starts and an absolutely gorgeous lady to start with".

"Thank you".

They clinked glasses and then kissed and then took a sip.

"We can sit outside, or we can watch a movie upstairs, or we can do whatever you want".

She leaned forward and kissed him.

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me".

"I think I'll go change".

"I think I'll go change too".

They walked upstairs and into a mess.

While they were gone, Jonathan's water bed had popped.

"Oh damn. Hang on, let me get some towels".

He came back with a bunch of towels. He mopped the floor while Jennifer stripped the bed.

Her bag was completely soaked.

"Oh, I think found the source of the leak. It's right here-I think if you have some duct tape, and you can hold up the mattress, I can tape it. And then we can lug it to the bathtub and drain it".

"Ok, be right back".

Her trick worked, and they were lugging the mattress to the tub in no time.

He ran and put her things in the dryer along with the towels, and then came back.

"Jonathan, do you want to keep this frame, or take it apart?"

"Let's take it apart. We can put it in the guest room for now".

After they got it apart, it didn't take them very long to put the pieces in the guest room.

"Now, how about we go buy a new bed and mattress?"

She nodded.

Jonathan found a mattress and furniture store that was open late, and they drove there right away.

He picked out the bed and let her pick out the mattress.

He paid them extra to follow him home and deliver it.

An hour later, they were all set up.

He went and got her clothes out of the dryer while she put sheets on the bed.

She went and changed into a nightgown and then came back. He had changed into a tight pair of pajama shorts.

They climbed into bed and he turned the tv on.

She snuggled up to him and scratched his chest.

"Darling, you could have gotten another waterbed if you wanted. I hope I wasn't the reason you didn't".

"No, not at all. Pam and I had purchased that, and truth be told, I was a little tired of it."

He held her while they watched the news and then he grabbed the remote and turned the tv off. She reached up and turned the fan on.

"How many pillows do you want?"

"Two".

"Same".

He rolled to face her and kissed her hesitantly.

She did her best not to rush him.

He wrapped his arms around her and moved his kisses to her neck.

"Oooohhh. Right there".

She ran her fingers through his hair while he sucked on her neck.

He gave her neck a few more kisses and then stopped.

"It's been a long time…..since before…."

"Shh. You're doing just fine".

She kissed him and ran her hands up and down his back.

He ran his hands up her nightgown and squeezed her breasts. He sucked on her earlobe for a few minutes.

"You smell so good".

"So do you".

She kissed him passionately and framed his face with her hands.

"Hang on a second".

He climbed off her and grabbed some protection while she shimmied out of her panties.

He turned the light out and came back to her.

"Tell me if I hurt you".

"Don't worry".

He quickly joined their bodies together, and she matched her hip motions with his. She wrapped her legs around his waist and reached down and squeezed his butt before dragging her nails up his back.

She kissed his chest as he was thrusting in and out of her.

She raised up one butt cheek, allowing him to go deeper each time.

He let out a low, visceral moan and gripped her shoulders.

A few seconds later, they both exploded in ecstasy and intimacy together.

He kissed her as they calmed down.

"That was fantastic".

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"

He laid there with her a few more minutes and then got up and put his boxer briefs back on.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I just feel so….alive".

She put her pajamas back on and sat up.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it, other than I thought that part of my life was over and now I see it's not and I don't know how to feel".

He held his hand out to her and they walked downstairs.

He led her out to the back porch and over to the swing.

He sat down and she sat in his lap.

"Nice night".

"Yeah, it is".

She rested her head on his shoulder as he gently swung them back and forth.

"Jonathan, can I tell you something?"

"Sure".

"I think you need to remember that it's ok to let people love you. You said that you haven't loved anyone since Pam died. And that's ok. But that also means that you haven't been loved since Pam died, and that's not ok. I love being with you, and you didn't do anything wrong. But every time I tried to love on you, you flinched. It's ok to let me love on you. Consider it part of your healing".

"You're right. I'm sorry".

"Oh honey, don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong, honest."

"Can I show you something?"

"Of course".

He took her hand and led her to the garage.

He flipped on a light, and then walked them over to the far part of the garage and pulled the cover off Pam's Mustang.

"This was her car. I've maintained it and kept it ever since that night. This was her pride and joy. She loved this car probably more than she loved me. She bought it when she got her first job out of college and she was meticulous about keeping it up."

"It's very nice. What are you going to do with it?"

"Well, I have a special project in mind, and I was hoping you could help me with that".


	11. Chapter 11

He told her all about the secret project and she was more than happy to help him out.

"So, it's going to mean that you are going to have to sit with me and deal with my being emotional, do you think you can handle that?"

"Of course I can handle that. It's going to be fine, I promise".

She tenderly kissed him and hugged him for a moment.

"I tell you what. Tomorrow, we can gather all the information and then I'll go through it without you and when I'm done, you can answer any questions I have, ok?"

"You're the greatest".

He gave her a few kisses and then they went back upstairs to bed.

They climbed into bed and she settled onto his chest.

She started kissing his neck, and rubbing his chest.

She climbed on top of him and stared into his eyes.

"This time, let me make love to you".

***Saturday***

Jennifer and Jonathan had stayed up half the night making love. He was like an animal that had been let out of a cage. Neither one of them could get enough of the other one.

They slept in till 10, and then headed downstairs.

"Morning Max".

"Morning Max".

"Morning you two. Fresh omelet's coming up".

"Sounds wonderful".

"After I make your omelet's, I'm headed to the track. Dinner is marinating in the fridge, just has to be grilled".

"Sounds great, Max".

"What do you want to do today?"

He put his hand on hers.

"Whatever you want to do".

Max brought them their omelet's and then headed out.

Jonathan took her hands in his.

"What if we get dressed, and then take a drive up the coast and do some exploring?"

"That sounds so fun".

She kissed him and then headed upstairs to get ready while he cleaned up the kitchen.

She sat downstairs in the living room while he got ready and then they headed out.

They drove up the coast about an hour to Kelly beach, and happened upon a little park that was just back from the shore. It had different swings and hammocks and also a ropes course.

They completed the ropes course and then spent some time just swinging and laying in the hammock.

After a couple hours they left and walked down to the beach and went for a long walk.

Afterwards, they drove back down towards LA and stopped to have a drink at a little hole in the wall restaurant.

They were sitting there, watching everyone in the restaurant and listening to the music when he leaned over to her.

"This is strange".

"What is?"

"You and me. I've never done a relationship that started as friends before."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven't either. And before the agreement with my father, I never had to worry about funds either. This feels surreal, almost".

"Jennifer, I'm happy to cover whatever you need financially".

"I know that, and I appreciate it. But I want to make it on my own, if I can."

"Are you going to be seeing your father for your birthday in a few weeks?"

"Highly doubt it. He stopped giving me birthday and Christmas gifts when I broke up with Elliott, and I haven't been able to afford a ticket home in about 4 years and he hasn't offered to buy me one".

"I see".

"The thing about my father is, when I was growing up, he pretty much left the parenting duties to my mom. She and I were very close, and spent a lot of time together. And he would lay down the law, but he expected her to carry it out. Sometimes she did, and sometimes she didn't. She and I had a lot of secrets from him."

"Like what?"

"Like one time, I was about 8 years old I think, and I accidentally broke a dish in the kitchen. Just slipped right out of my hands. He hit the roof, screaming, yelling, telling me I was irresponsible and needed to learn the value of a dollar. So he decided that I was to spend the entire next day pulling weeds, and that I had to be out of the house from 7 in the morning till 7 at night. If I had to go to the bathroom, I had to use the one in the barn. If I was thirsty, I had to drink from the hose."

"So what happened?"

"He left for Germany at 6 in the morning. He called Mama like he always did from the plane just before takeoff. After they hung up, she told me to come inside and then she told the gardener that his only job for that day was to see that all the weeds in all the flowerbeds were pulled".

Jonathan chuckled.

"So then when I was 12, she got sick. And then one day, she was gone. And he couldn't handle me, and barely knew how to talk to me, so he decided that I had to go away to boarding school. Signed me up and told me I had 3 days to pack and in 4 days we were leaving. I was so angry, I refused to speak to him for 6 months. Finally, he showed up at school and demanded that I go eat with him. So, we went to a restaurant and I ate, but I refused to speak. He dropped me back off at school and left and we didn't speak to each other for a year. When school ended, he sent me to my aunts, 30 minutes away from my boarding school. When I graduated high school, he showed up and criticized me that I wasn't in the top 10 in my class. He threw a "family" dinner with my aunts at a restaurant and then proceeded to grill me about my choice of colleges. I told him I had chosen UCLA, and he scoffed at it and told me if I was smart, I would have picked Princeton. He also denounced Journalism as a respectable career, telling me I should go into business or pre-law instead. He refused to see that I have a passion for writing, and I was simply following my passion. We had this huge family fight right there in the restaurant, and the next day I moved in with one of my aunts. A few months later, I moved out to California for college. About 2 years later, he sent me tickets to Italy along with a hotel reservation as a peace offering. I went, he never showed. The next year, same thing with Japan. I went, he never showed. 6 months later, I graduated and got a job in Chicago at the Tribune, and that's when he started the stuff with Elliott. After he cut me off, I decided to make a change in my life, so I took a job in New York for several years as a feature writer, and then finally moved back out here for the job at the Chronicle. My dad looks at me as an obligation, and nothing more. Not one time in my entire life that I can remember has he ever told me he loves me or is proud of me. And I stopped trying to please him a long time ago".

He didn't know what to say so he just leaned over and kissed her temple.

"Mark my words, if I ever have children, and that's a pretty damn big if, I am not going to raise them anything like he 'raised' me. I will be loving and attentive and they will know that they are loved and supported, and free to make their own decisions and mistakes from the start".

"I agree. I also went an entire childhood of not being told that I was loved, and it really plays with your head after a while. If Max hadn't taken me in when he did, I can honestly say that I would have probably seen the inside of a jail cell for many years".

"I can see you with a kid. Playing with them in the yard, telling them to listen to their mother, tucking them in at night".

"I can see you with a kid too. It's a beautiful sight".

They stayed a little longer and then headed home.

He held the car door open for her and then slid into the driver's seat.

"Want to stay with me again tonight?"

She nodded.

He laced his fingers through hers and they headed back to his house.

They went upstairs and changed clothes and then she helped him carry the now empty waterbed mattress downstairs and out to the backyard.

They went upstairs and settled into bed and he turned on the tv.

She grabbed some lotion out of her bag and started putting it on.

"That smells good".

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it? It's also not greasy. Here, feel".

She rubbed some on his back.

He let her give him a back scratch, while they watched tv.

They were just about to turn the tv off and the lights out when the phone rang.

He reached over and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Jonathan? This is Marcia Granger. I'm sorry to call so late, but my assistant told me that you had sent over some samples for a writer that you wanted me to look at, and I've been traveling all week and I just now got a chance to read them. Can you tell me how I can contact a Jennifer Edwards? These samples are so wonderful, I have to hire her as soon as possible".

"She's right here with me, would you like to speak with her?"

"Yes, please".

"Hang on a second".

He covered the mouthpiece with his hand.

"Darling, one of the freelance agents I contacted for you is on the phone. Her name is Marcia Granger. She wants to speak with you, she's a fan of your work".

He passed the phone to her and scooted back so she could scoot in front of him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jennifer. This is Marcia Granger. I am a freelance editor. Jonathan gave me your name and sent me some samples, and asked me to review your work in case I had a position open. I just read your piece on the homeless that you did in New York, and also your piece on children of prisoners in California. I have to tell you, this is the most exquisite writing I have seen in years. I am prepared to offer you a position, if you are willing. You can write from anywhere, you only have to write 3 pieces a month. I get 10% of the sale price, you get the rest. I will supply you with a laptop and a printer, and you will use my FedEx account to ship me your articles at the end of every month. Most of my writers pull in anywhere from $8000 to $12000 a month. If there is a request for more than 3 articles from you each month, then I only take 8% of the sale price for each of those articles. If you are willing to meet me in person and sign the paperwork, I can meet you tomorrow afternoon at 3 in Costa Mesa".

"Yes, I'm willing".

"Perfect. There's a little restaurant known as Juan Carlo's. It's on the Coast highway. I'll be sitting at a table in the bar. I have dark brown hair. The hostesses and barkeep all know me there, just ask for me and they will show you to my table. See you then".

"Thank you, see you then".

She hung up and leaned back against him.

"So?"

"She wants to hire me and she wants to meet with me tomorrow at Juan Carlo's in Costa Mesa. And I said yes, and we hung up and I just realized my car is dead."

She reached for the phone to call her back but he stopped her.

"Jennifer, it's ok. I'll take you to Juan Carlo's. And then afterwards, we will get your car fixed".

"Darling, you've paid so much for me already".

"And I'm willing to pay more. I'll pay every cent I have for you, if you need me to. I love you, it's alright".

She moved to lay beside him.

"You're wonderful".

She leaned up and kissed him as he reached up and turned out the lights.

They spent the next few hours making love and then fell asleep all wrapped up together.

***Sunday***

Jonathan and Jennifer woke up around 9 and had breakfast.

"Darling, how far is Costa Mesa from here?"  
"Oh, about 45 minutes".

"Ok, so she wants to meet at 3. So that means we need to leave at 2. Can you give me a ride home around 12 so I can start getting ready?"

"Certainly".

He drove her home around 12:30, and she headed for a bubble bath. While he waited for her, he took a look at her car.

He came back in after she got out of the bath.

"Darling, if I'm right, your car only needs a new battery. When we get home from Costa Mesa, we can go to the auto parts store and get one and I'll put it in for you".

"Thank you. I hope you're right".

She decided on a dark green sheath dress with cap sleeves, and some black strappy heels.

She put together a file of her work and her resume, and got out a piece of her finest stationary and wrote her contact info on it and paperclipped it to the top.

"Darling, can I ask you something?"

"Certainly".

"How was it that you sent her some of my work to review?"

"Remember how Deanne made you copies? Well, I just went to the copy machine and used the 'last' function and found your work. I made a copy of each piece and sent it to her that way".

"Genius. Simply genius".

She squeezed his chin and kissed him, and then headed to the bedroom.

She came out with a black purse in her hands and quickly switched purses.

"Ok, I'm ready".

They walked out, and he opened the door for her and helped her in the car.

She held his hand as they drove along. The sun got in her eyes so she reached up and moved the blinder down.

He instinctively reached to move it back up.

"Darling, it's fine. You're fine. We will get there fine".

She put the blinder back down, and he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them.

"Sorry, force of habit".

They made it to Costa Mesa in record time, and had a few minutes to sit and have a drink at the bar before Marcia showed up.

Jonathan asked the hostess to come get him when Marcia got there.

"Darling, are you staying with us while I talk to her?"

"Do you want me to?"

"You can if you want. I don't mind, but I can't speak for her".

"Well, if she's ok with it, I will. If she's not, then I'll go to the other side of the bar and watch the game".

The hostess came and told him she was there.

They walked over to her table.

"Hi, I'm Jennifer Edwards".

"Marcia Granger, nice to meet you".

She turned to Jonathan.

"I only need about an hour".

"Great. I'll be on the other side of the bar".

He kissed Jennifer.

"I love you, you'll do fine".

"I love you too".

Jennifer sat down and perused the menu.

After they ordered, Marcia pulled out some documents.

"Ok, so I looked over your resume. Are you still working at the Chronicle?"

"No, I was fired last week".

"Mind if I ask what for?"

"Well, I was the editor of the features section. And I had one reporter who wrote an article about a businessman who is a womanizer and basically a predator. He is more known for his antics with women in his office than he is for his business deals. The article didn't have his name in it, but as soon as he's indicted, that will be revealed. And another reporter wrote an article about Jonathan's company. Only I didn't know that it was about Jonathan or his company. The article alleged that he discriminates when it comes to hiring people and promoting people. So, the reporter went undercover and interned there for a little bit. She was never discriminated against, but she spoke to people who feel that they were. In the rough draft of her article, she had a paragraph at the bottom that stated that she wasn't discriminated against, but my assistant editor cut that for space reasons. Jonathan's lawyer called my boss and threatened legal action. Plus, other businessmen called and pulled their ads and canceled subscriptions, and at the end of the day, they fired me. They said that my error in judgement caused them lost revenue".

"Horse feathers. You were fired because of politics. Tell me-what would you do differently?"

"Well, for starters, I wouldn't have run the articles on the same day. As far as the article about Jonathan's company, I would have moved the paragraph that was cut to the beginning. And I would have put a disclaimer that the identity of the businessman in the predator article would be revealed when an indictment came down. I might have even waited till the indictment came down and then published the article".

"Those are all good ideas. I'm telling you, you couldn't pay me to be an editor. Too much pressure, too much restriction".

"Well, I promise you if you hire me, I will use much better judgement in my future pieces".

"Sweetie, this isn't an interview. As far as I'm concerned, you're hired. Now, sign these papers and it will be official".

Jennifer felt as if a huge burden was lifted off her shoulders.

She signed all the paperwork, and then Marcia slid a check across the table.

"All my writers get paid every two weeks, the same amount. When I sell your articles, I deduct my 10% or my 8%, depending on our agreement. After that, I deduct what I've already paid you, and you get the rest. So, some months you might 4 checks from me, others you might get 10. Just depends on how popular you are. I posted your articles to my site last night, and I've already had 4 offers this morning."

"Really?"

"Yes. And my contract with each purchase is that I receive 2 copies of the publication. One for you, one for me. I send those out at the end of the month".

Jennifer nodded.

"Ok, so as far as equipment. I am going to give you a check that you can take and use to purchase the laptop and printer of your choice. Aside from that, you will also need access to a scanner and a copier. You can work from wherever you want, whatever city, whatever state. Here is my FedEx account info-use this account to send me your articles by the last day of the month".

"Thank you".

"Welcome to the firm, Jennifer. I'm sure you will be a great fit".

They shook hands.

Marcia paid the bill and said her goodbyes, and then Jennifer went to find Jonathan.

He was sitting at the bar, watching a baseball game.

"Hi, all done?"

"All done."

He paid his tab and they walked out and headed to the car.

"Darling, where's the best place to buy computer equipment?"

"Computer warehouse".

"Well, as soon as my car is fixed, I need to go get a laptop and a printer".

"I think we can manage that".

She smiled at him.

They made it back to her house and she went inside to change clothes.

He came in and picked up the phone.

"Hey Bill, it's Jonathan. I need a favor. Can you come to 9844 Mockingbird Lane in WestOaks?"

"Sure, I'm on my way".

Jennifer came out and joined Jonathan.

He had taken her battery out and had it sitting on the curb.

About 10 minutes later, Bill pulled up.

"What's shaking, Valentine?"

"Hey Bill. Thanks for coming".

Jennifer extended her hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Jennifer".

"Bill McDowell, good to meet you".

Jonathan explained the problem to Bill and he agreed it was the battery.

"Darling, we are going to take this to the auto parts store and have them test it. We'll be right back".

She handed him her credit card.

She kissed him goodbye and then headed back inside.

He and Bill were only gone about an hour.

He came inside as soon as they got back.

"Darling? We're back".

She came out of the bedroom.

"It was your battery. We got a new one and Bill is going to install it".

"Wonderful".

About 30 minutes later, he was finished.

They came inside. Jennifer was in the kitchen.

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it".

"No problem. Happy to help out".

She looked at both of them.

"I made a lasagna, you're welcome to join us for dinner if you'd like".

"Oh, that's kind of you. But I can't, I'm meeting a buddy at a steakhouse in about an hour."

"Well, thanks again."

Jonathan shook his hand.

"Valentine, you were wrong. Jennifer here is not the woman for you".

Jennifer looked at him, very shocked.


	12. Chapter 12

Jonathan looked at him incredulously.

"She's not?"

"No. She's the one for me".

"Very funny, Bill".

Jennifer stepped over and embraced Jonathan.

"Well, you two enjoy your dinner, I'll see you later".

She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks again, Bill".

"Anytime, Jennifer".

He left, and she and Jonathan relaxed on the couch while they waited for the lasagna to be ready.

She snuggled up to his chest and turned on the tv.

"So, you never told me about your meeting with Marcia".

"Well, it went well. She hired me and gave me my first paycheck. I only have to write 3 articles per month for her, and I have to ship them to her at the end of the month. She sells them, and takes 10% off the sale price, and I get the rest. If she sells more than 3 articles of mine per month, she takes 8% of each one and I get the rest. I can work from anywhere, and I can choose my own topics".

"Well, that sounds wonderful".

"Yeah, I like the fact that I can work from home if I want to. In my pajamas if I want to, and that I can take a day off if I want to. Plus, I'll be making more money doing this than I was at the paper, and this way I don't really have to answer to anyone".

The timer went off, so she got up and started fixing their plates.

After a nice dinner, he helped her do the dishes and put away the leftovers.

She started moving furniture around and made herself a nice little workspace in the living room.

She didn't have a desk, so she was going to have to use tv trays for the time being, but she knew she could make it work.

He started looking around her apartment.

"What do you use the second bedroom for?"

"Well, It was the exercise room. But….the light burned out in there right when I first moved in, and then the tv went out, so I moved the one in there in here and it's been empty ever since. If I can ever get a desk and a filing cabinet and get the room set up like I like it, it would make a great office".

"How would you want it?"

"Well for starters, I want a dark wood desk, the kind with a side section, with a fluffy pink rug underneath, and a big comfy desk chair. And I would get a tv stand and at some point, a tv so that I can watch the news or whatever while I'm working. And I would get a floor lamp, and also maintenance to come in here and fix the light. All in due time, I suppose".

She leaned up and kissed him.

"I'm going to go take a bubble bath. Make yourself at home".

He waited till he heard the water turn on, and then went to her laundry room and got a lightbulb. He changed the lightbulb in the empty room lickety-split, and was relaxing on the bed in her room when she got out of the bath.

"Feel better?"

"Loads. Want to stay the night?"

"Sure".

She slipped on a nightgown and then went and locked the door and came back to bed.

He stripped down to his boxer briefs and climbed in bed next to her.

"So, now that we are together….are you still planning on going to the meeting on Thursday?"

"Well, I haven't thought about it. I guess not, it served its purpose".

"Yeah, I think it did."

He turned to look at her.

"Do you have any concrete plans for this weekend?"

"Not that I can think of".

"I have to go to New York for a business meeting. Want to go with me? We could leave Thursday night, and then come back Sunday afternoon".

"I think I could swing that, depending on how much the tickets are and how much the hotel room is".

He brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed them.

"We aren't staying in a hotel, we are staying in my apartment in New York. And my company has its own plane. Can you afford zero dollars and zero cents?"

"Jonathan, don't patronize me".

"I'm not patronizing you".

"Yes, you are. It's not my fault that I'm not the owner of a multi-million dollar company. It's not my fault that some months I have dollars left over after paying my bills and others I only have pennies. That's real life for a lot of people. And it's not my fault that I don't have the luxury of just getting on my own plane and flying off somewhere whenever I want to".

"Jennifer, I was making a joke. I wasn't trying to upset you".

"Well it wasn't funny. I love the fact that you have your own personal rags to riches story, Jonathan. I really do. However, not everyone else's rags to riches story is like yours. And not all of us reach the riches stage. I have busted my ass for 8 years since my father cut me off. You might not respect that, but I do".

"I do respect that".

"I don't think you do. If you did, you wouldn't make comments like that and throw your wealth in my face. I think you should stay at your own house tonight".

She got up and headed to the door to unlock it.

He was stunned.

He got up and put his clothes on, and then walked into the den.

"Can we just talk about this?"

"I don't want to. Maybe tomorrow".

He grabbed his keys and came over to her.

"I love you, I hope you know that. I'm sorry you think I was throwing my wealth in your face, I would never do that".

He gave her a quick kiss that she didn't return and then left.

She locked the door behind him and headed to bed.

***Monday***

Jonathan woke up when his alarm went off, and immediately called his office and pushed his first appointment back.

He got a shower and got dressed, and then headed out.

20 minutes later, he showed up at Jennifer's apartment.

He rang the doorbell and was surprised when she answered.

"May I come in?"

She nodded.

He came in and headed for the kitchen.

He had a bag with him.

"I brought breakfast for the both of us. I hope you like bagels".

He popped two bagels into her toaster and then got out two plates.

He turned and kissed her forehead.

"Let's have breakfast in bed. You go get in bed and I'll bring it in".

She headed back to bed and a few minutes later he was coming in with a tray. He had thought of everything-bagels, cream cheese, lox, fresh squeezed juice. There was even a single rose in a vase.

He placed the tray on her lap and then slipped his shoes off and gently climbed into bed next to her.

"This is your New York breakfast. One bagel made the New York way-lox, cream cheese, onion seasoning. One bagel with cream cheese seasoned with New York seasoning. Fresh squeezed orange juice, made from Florida oranges. They sell this brand in New York, so it still counts. And I spelled out I'm sorry on the plate in sesame seeds, but it shifted when I picked it up".

She cracked a smile.

"I'm sorry Jennifer. I should have just told you I would make all the arrangements. I was being insensitive and all I can say is I'm sorry".

She leaned over and kissed him.

"I overreacted. My feelings were hurt and sometimes I get too into my feelings when I'm hurt and I take it too far. I apologize too".

He kissed her forehead.

"So do you still want to go to New York with me?"

"Yes, I do".

She kissed him a few times and then fed him bites of her bagel.

"Darling, I'm enjoying this, but aren't you going to be late to the office?"

"I called and pushed back my first appointment. I'm the boss, I can do that, you know".

He sat there with her while she finished her breakfast and then took the tray and set it on the window seat and came back to bed.

He stretched out next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Jonathan, what are you doing?"

"What we should have done last night".

"It was pretty lonely here without you".

"My house was pretty lonely too".

"I guess you figured out that I get feisty when I get upset".

"Yeah, but it's kind of cute".

She snuggled with him for a little bit longer and then he had to get to the office.

"I love you, I'll call you later".

"I love you too. I have several errands to run, but otherwise I'll be here".

Several kisses later, he headed to the office and she headed back to bed for a little bit.

Around 11, she was just about to head out when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Well hi. What's going on?"  
"Nothing, I'm about to go into a meeting and I just wanted to call and tell you I love you. Max is going to drop some things off at your place, if that's ok. When I get off work tonight, I'll come by on my way home".

"That sounds great. And I love you too".

"Max should be there in about 30 minutes".

"Perfect. I love you".

"Love you too. Bye".

She hung up and then did some things around the house while she waited for Max.

About 20 minutes later, he knocked on the door.

She answered it and found him holding several bags.

"Hi Max. Here, let me get that".

"Hi Miss Edwards".

He turned around.

"Ok boys, bring it on in".

As she took the bags to the kitchen and set them on the table, several delivery boys brought in a heavy desk, a pink fluffy rug, an oversized desk chair, a large tv stand, a flat screen tv, a filing cabinet, a box full of office supplies, and a tall floor lamp.

Max handed her a vase with 2 dozen roses and a card.

"This will explain everything".

He kissed her cheek and then left.

"Thanks guys".

She sat down on the couch and opened the card.

" _Now you have almost everything you need to work from home-tonight we will go computer shopping, I promise. I love you-Jonathan. P.S. Try the light switch in the office"._

She couldn't help but smile as she walked to the second bedroom and flipped the switch.

She couldn't believe it when the light came on.

She quickly hurried and went to the bank and then came back and spent the rest of the afternoon getting her new office organized.

By the time Jonathan got there, all that was needed was for her desk to be lifted onto the rug.

She heard him knock on the door and ran to answer it.

"Hi-"

She jumped in his arms and kissed him passionately and walked him inside so he could close the door.

He picked her up and carried her to the second bedroom.

She broke the kiss and hugged him.

"You like your surprise?"

"I love it."

He helped her get the desk into the right spot.

"Darling, when, or rather, how did you get the light to work again?"

"Last night, when you were in the bath, I climbed up there and fixed it".

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to. And then I thought of this surprise and it seemed like a better idea".

"I love surprises, especially yours".

She kissed him again and then he helped her take the boxes to the dumpster.

They left and went shopping and returned with dinner as well as a new computer and printer for Jennifer.

They had just sat down to dinner when Jonathan looked at her.

"Ok, so it's a good thing you like surprises, because I have another one".

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, I found out today that one of the meetings that I was supposed to have in New York this weekend, has been moved to D.C. So, Sunday morning, we are flying to D.C., and then flying home Monday afternoon".

"Wonderful. Maybe we can meet my father for dinner Sunday night".

"I'd like that. I booked us a hotel in DC, but if you'd rather stay with your dad-"

"No, that's ok. The longer we spend time together, the more we fight. Quick getaways are best".

"Well then dinner it is".

They did the dishes together and then relaxed the rest of the night.

When they finally fell asleep, nestled together, Jonathan had a dream about Pam.

She was nodding and blowing him a kiss.

***Thursday***

Jennifer was at her apartment, waiting for Jonathan to come pick her up so they could head to the airport.

She picked up the phone and called her dad.

"Hello, this is Stephen Edwards".

"Hi Pa, it's me, Jennifer".

"Hello sweetheart".

"So, as it turns out, a friend and I are going to be in DC Sunday night, and we were wondering if we could take you to dinner?".

"Well that sounds lovely."

"Great. We will make some reservations, and let you know the details."

"Very well. Talk to you later, sweetheart".

"Bye Pa".

She had just hung up when Jonathan came in.

"Hi beautiful."

"Hi handsome".

She hugged and kissed him.

"All ready?"

"Yes, I am".

He went to the bedroom to get her suitcase while she grabbed them a couple water bottles.

They had a relatively quick drive to the airport.

He parked them next to his plane and then opened the door for her as the crew began to load their luggage.

They stepped up into the cabin of the plane.

"Jennifer, this is Jack Kelton, my pilot. Jack, this is my girlfriend Jennifer Edwards".

"Pleased to meet you ma'am".

"Pleased to meet you as well".

"Make yourselves comfortable, we will be taking off in about 10 minutes".

"Thanks Jack".

Jack headed to the cockpit while Jonathan gave Jennifer a tour.

"So, this is the main cabin. All these seats recline. That cabinet has a tv in case we want to watch. Through those doors is the bedroom and bathroom".

"You have a lovely plane. This is very nice".

"Thanks. It's served me well".

They got comfortable and buckled up.

"So I called my father and he agreed to dinner. We need to make some reservations".

"Ever been to Ballard's? They have wonderful steaks and seafood dishes".

"I've never even heard of it".

"Oh, it's a great place. They have dancing, an extensive wine list, great food".

"Sounds wonderful".

She rested her head against his shoulder for a little bit.

"Darling, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, you can".

"Did you ever meet Pam's family?"

"Yeah, I did. Her parents live in Santa Vista, about 45 minutes away from my house. Nice people. I used to send them cards every now and then, but I haven't kept in touch as much lately".

"Well, I was thinking about the secret project. I think we ought to include them".

"I think that's a wonderful idea".

"Good. I will start on that as soon as we get back home".

She reclined her seat, and he reclined his. He opened the cabinet and they found a movie to watch. Before too long, she was fast asleep on his shoulder.

He woke her up about 30 minutes before they landed.

"Have a nice nap?"

She nodded.

"We have late dinner reservations at Top of the Rock, do you think you are up for it?"

"Oh yes".

She leaned up and kissed him, and did that thing with her tongue that he loved.

They kissed right through the landing and didn't stop till Jack came and interrupted him.

"Hey lovebirds, we landed".

Jennifer looked embarrassed, but Jonathan didn't.

"Thanks Jack".

"No problem".

They gathered their things and headed to the car that was waiting for them.

He laced his fingers through hers as they rode along. It was a short ride to his apartment.

The doorman met them with a luggage cart and loaded their bags for them.

They walked to the elevator and rode up to his apartment.

When the doors opened, her jaw dropped.

"This is your apartment?! I have always dreamed of having an apartment like this! The view, the floor to ceiling windows, the bookshelves around the door, the terrace! I love this apartment!"

Jonathan chuckled.

"Yeah, I love it too".

He wrapped his arms around her waist as they stood there looking at the view.

"And you haven't seen a sunrise till you've seen it on this terrace".

He kissed her cheek.

"What's your favorite part about this apartment?"

"It's quiet. I have the whole top floor to myself. And the floor below this one, is nothing but supply closets and offices. So, I'm not being disturbed by anyone and nobody is being disturbed by me".

He gave her a tour of the penthouse.

"This is the kitchen, I just had it redone about 5 months ago. And down this hallway is an office, the laundry room, the television room and a guest room and bath."

He took her hand and led her back the other way.

"This is the living room, and the half-bath, and this is my bedroom and bath back here".

His bedroom was massive. He had a huge king-size bed, that was up high. His bathroom was about the size of Jennifer's bedroom, with a walk-through shower, a double soaking tub, and a double vanity.

"I love this. How did you find it?"

"It fell into my lap, really. I was looking for an apartment to buy, and the owners of this place kept dropping the price because nobody was buying, and they finally dropped it into my price range so I snapped it up".

They got freshened up for dinner and just as they were about to head out, the phone rang. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed it.

He talked for a few minutes and then hung up.

"Change of plans".


	13. Chapter 13

"We aren't going to dinner?"

"No, not that. They added an extra meeting in DC, so we are now staying two nights and not one".

"Oh, good."

After a nice dinner with champagne and dancing, they took a horse drawn carriage ride back to his apartment.

They came in and she headed to the bedroom to kick her shoes off.

"Darling, are you coming to bed soon?"

"Yeah, after the news. I'm a little wired".

She slipped on a lacy nightgown and then her robe and went and found him in the den.

They were cuddled up on the couch.

"What time is your meeting tomorrow?"

"Well, the first one starts at 10. That one should go about 2 hours. And then we have another one at 3, and I have told them that no matter what, I have to be out of there by 5".

"Why 5?"

"Because you and I have plans. I have a friend who is a ticket broker. And he's going to get us tickets to whatever Broadway play you want to go to".

"You mean it?"

"I mean it".

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I love you".

"I love you too. I never knew you were such a huge fan of Broadway, though".

"Yeah, I love the theater."

He reached over and grabbed the phone and called down to the front desk.

"Hi, this is Jonathan Hart in the penthouse. Can you send up a copy of today's paper? Thank you".

A few minutes later, he got up and answered the door and brought the paper to the couch.

They looked through it and found the Broadway listings.

"Oh, Jonathan! Gutterdamen is playing!"

"What about Kiss of the Spider Woman? That's in English".

"Yeah, but Gutterdamen is easy to follow even though it's in German".

"Here's an ad for Rent, that looks good".

They finally agreed to see what the ticket broker could get them.

After the news was over, Jennifer headed to wash her face, while Jonathan locked up and turned out all the lights.

He had just climbed into bed when Jennifer came out of the bathroom.

She came around and climbed into bed next to him and scooted over into the middle.

Jonathan immediately rolled over on top of her and cradled her in his arms.

He was staring at her, mesmerized by her eyes and her striking features.

"What is it?"

"You are the most beautiful woman in the whole world".

"Thank you".

He tenderly kissed her, as she ran her fingers through his hair. He rolled them so she was on top and reached his hands up her nightgown to caress her breasts.

She straddled his waist and then leaned down and kissed him. He slipped the nightgown off over her head while she unbuttoned his pajama top

She kissed his chest as she unbuttoned his pajama top and scratched her nails across his chest as she kissed him.

He rolled them so she was on her back and buried his face in her neck.

She reached down and squeezed his butt.

He trailed some kisses to her nipples and sucked on them a minute, while she scratched his back.

He started to nibble, causing her to arch her back and let out a moan.

"Don't hold back, baby".

She opened her legs, inviting him to settle in between them.

She could feel him pressing against her as he sucked on her earlobe.

"Darling…."

He grabbed her face and kissed her with more passion than either of them had ever felt.

He sat up and took off his pajama bottoms and grabbed a condom while she shimmied out of her panties.

He returned to her and settled between her legs again.

His lips captured hers and his tongue parted her lips and took her all in.

"I love you".

He moved his kisses to her neck.

"I love you too".

He quickly found her center and joined their bodies together, causing her to cry out.

She matched his hip rhythm with her own, and opened her legs to maximize the pleasure.

She gripped his hips with her knees, almost sending him over the edge in record time.

As he exploded inside of her, she gripped his shoulders and their lips found each other. She exploded in intimacy all around him as he kissed her, and they held each other as they calmed down.

"That was the best sex we've ever had".

"I agree".

"Want to do it again?"

She nodded.

They spent the next several hours making love before they passed out from sheer exhaustion.

***Friday***

Jonathan woke up when his alarm went off, and quietly headed for the shower.

He left Jennifer a love note on the nightstand and kissed her and then headed to the office.

She woke up around 9, disappointed that he was already gone.

She rolled over and saw his love note.

" _I love you more than anything. Go to the kitchen. Love, Jonathan"._

She got up and put her robe on and headed to the kitchen.

She found another note on the counter.

" _Call the front desk. Tell them you are in the penthouse and you are ready. They will know what to do. I'll be home by 4, I love you-Jonathan"._

She picked up the phone and called the front desk.

"Hello, how can we help you?"

"Hi. I'm staying in the Hart Penthouse. I'm ready".

"Very well ma'am. ETA is 10 minutes".

"Thank you".

She went and put on her nightgown and then put her robe on over it and came back to the living room.

She found the remote and was flipping through the channels when there was a knock at the door.

She got up and answered it.

"Hi ma'am. Room service, if we may?"

"You may".

She stepped aside and let them come in.

The first attendant pushed a cart in that had a dozen pink roses and a large card.

He handed her the card.

"Ask for Doug-he'll make you whatever omelet you want".

The second attendant pushed in a cart with coffee, orange juice and water, plus cups and mugs of various sizes. There was also a bottle of chilled champagne.

"Mimosa ma'am?"  
"Please".

The third attendant pushed in the omelet cart and took her order.

"All the veggies plus extra cheese please".

"Yes ma'am".

The fourth attendant pushed in a cart loaded with sliced fresh fruit, toasted bagels and cream cheese, and fresh bacon.

After her omelet was finished, they left her to eat, and told her to just call the front desk when she was finished with the carts.

"And here is a final note for you, from Mr. Hart".

She handed her a card, and then they all left.

"Thank you".

She locked the door behind them and then sat down on the couch.

She opened his card.

" _Enjoy breakfast baby-you deserve the best because you are the best. I love you-Jonathan"._

She had a relaxing morning enjoying her breakfast and champagne cart. She corked the champagne after her second mimosa and put the rest in the fridge so that they could enjoy it later.

He got home around 4.

"Darling?"

"In here".

He went in the bedroom and found her in the bathroom getting ready.

"Hi gorgeous".

"Hi handsome".

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him several times.

"I loved my surprise this morning, darling. Thank you".

"You deserve it. I just wish I had been able to share it with you".

"I saved the champagne and some of the fruit".

He kissed her a few times.

"How were your meetings, darling?"

"Good, actually. I think we are going to move forward on a few acquisitions."

"That's wonderful".

"How about dinner and an off-Broadway play tonight?"

"Certainly".

"My broker got us tickets for tonight to see "One Chance at Heaven". He got us tickets to the 9:45 showing. And I made us reservations at Dive, an upscale seafood restaurant".

"Sounds yummy".

"Now, it's time for my favorite part of the day".

"What's that?"

He took her hand and led her to the kitchen, where he made them both a cocktail.

Afterwards, he led her out to the terrace, and they watched the sunset while they sipped their cocktails.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Well, I thought we could go shopping and then my ticket broker is supposed to be getting us two tickets for a Broadway show, one of the earlier ones. And then we have a surprise dinner reservation afterwards".

"Darling, you are always surprising me and pampering me. Let me do it for you".

"I love to surprise you and it's important to me to know that you are taken care of and that you are happy."

"What makes you happy?"

"Being with you".

"No, what I mean is, If I was to plan something for you and me, what would you want me to plan?"

"I like to go and do things, like walks on the beach, or drives up the coast. And having someone to do it with makes it so much more meaningful".

"I agree".

After the sun had gone down, they headed to change clothes and get dressed.

Jennifer put on a pair of wide-legged black pants, some black stiletto boots and an emerald green silk blouse.

Jonathan put on a fresh dress shirt and a new tie.

She snuggled up to him in the elevator and kissed him a few times.

"I missed you today, Mr. Hart".

"I missed you too, Miss Edwards".

They held hands as they walked through the lobby and then they got in the car from his car service.

They got to Dive and were shown right to their table.

He ordered them a carafe of white wine, and two shrimp cocktails as an appetizer.

They looked over the menu and he finally settled on the surf and turf-steak with 4 types of fresh seafood. He chose shrimp, scallops, crab legs and lobster.

She settled on a grilled and steamed seafood platter-grilled lobster, grilled shrimp skewers, and 2 pounds of steamed crab legs.

"How did you find this place?"

"I asked my secretary at the office what her favorite restaurants were and she gave me a list of the top 100 restaurants in the city and this was on it".

"Great choice, darling".

They had a very romantic dinner, complete with lots of kisses and hand holding, and then they headed to the theater for their play.

"One Chance at Heaven" was the charming story about a man who made a series of mistakes and realized too late that he needed to be confident and go after what he wanted in life because it wasn't going to come after him. Both Jonathan and Jennifer could definitely relate to the message in the play.

They headed back to the penthouse afterwards, and she immediately headed to put on her nightgown.

He grabbed the champagne out of the fridge and brought it plus two glasses. He also grabbed the sliced strawberries and dropped some into each glass.

She was settling into bed when he came in with the tray.

"Oh, fabulous idea".

She poured them some champagne while he changed into his pajamas.

Just as he was crawling into bed, there was a loud clap of thunder.

"Looks like we got home just in time".

They cuddled up and drank their champagne.

"Ok darling, tell me about your father".

"Well, he's very old-fashioned. He doesn't like public displays of affection. Scratch that, he doesn't like any display of affection. He is very set in his ways, and good luck changing that".

"I see".

"You don't have to be nervous, darling. He's always the same. He will sit down, order a glass of Montramet Rose, and if they don't have that, he will order a glass of bourbon. His dinner will include fish, 2 vegetables, and a type of bread. And he never orders dessert. As far as conversation, he will ask me what I've been up to, and then he will say that he just ran into an old friend and they asked about me. After that, he will pick a topic and debate it, and just when you are ready to pull your hair out, he will say he's tired and he wants to go home".

Jonathan chuckled.

"I think I can handle that".

"I used to let it get to me. But now, I just get through the dinner, and then try not to think about it".

"Good plan".

"So, since you will be with me, he will probably ask you about your upbringing, how we met, what you know about me, etc."

He set his champagne glass down on the nightstand and she did the same.

"Well, that's easy. My answers will be that I was raised in an orphanage and I was blessed to find Max, that I learned everything that I need to know about life from him or the Navy, and that you and I met at a social gathering, and that I know that you are the most wonderful, beautiful, sexiest woman in the whole wide world".

"Very good. Now let's amend that slightly, shall we? You and I met at a work function, plain and simple".

"Got it".

"And while I appreciate that you think I'm the sexiest woman in the world, I'm afraid that you telling my father that you think I'm sexy will cause his head to explode".

"Got it. But darling, surely he knows that you are a grown woman and that you are very experienced?"

"If he does, I'm sure he prefers to think otherwise. I can honestly tell you that Elliott told him that I was still a virgin, which wasn't true. I had experience before Elliott, I just didn't go to bed with him at all".

"I see".

"That came out wrong. I'm not a sex kitten, I swear".

"Jennifer, you don't have to apologize to me. When I met you, I wasn't a virgin either. Hell, I wasn't a virgin when I met Pam. And I wouldn't have judged you if you had gone to bed with Elliott, honest. I love you for who you are, whatever that looks like".

She leaned over and sweetly kissed him.

"I just have this sense of impending doom, that I always get before I see my father."

"We can cancel if you like".

"No, I don't want to do that. We'd never hear the end of it if we did. And besides, as difficult as he is, he's still my father. And he's getting older now, and I might not get too many more chances to have dinner with him".

"So, we met at a work function, and our sex life is off limits. Anything else?"

"Not that I can think of".

"Well, I think it will go just fine. And if it doesn't, then we will make an excuse to leave and get out of there".

"I love you, I'm glad you are going with me. I can't wait for him to get to know you".

She turned and started kissing his chest.

"I love you too, and I'm happy to meet him, regardless of the outcome".

He reached up and turned off the light and then made love to her before they both fell asleep wrapped up together.


	14. Chapter 14

***Saturday***

Jennifer woke up before Jonathan and quietly took a shower.

He was waking up just as she was getting out of the shower.

"Morning Darling".

"Morning beautiful".

He gave her a few kisses and then went to get some coffee.

After they got ready, they headed to a diner for a quick brunch, and then set out to do some shopping.

Jonathan bought Jennifer new outfits, jewelry, new shoes, purses, whatever she saw she wanted, he purchased it.

They were coming out of the last store, and he was carrying all the packages.

"Darling, we don't have to shop anymore. Let's go back to the penthouse".

"There's one more place I want to take you".

Her eyes about lit up when she realized they were going to Tiffany's.

They walked in and he turned to her.

"Wait right here, darling, I'll only be a moment".

He went and spoke with the saleswoman and then came back to Jennifer.

"I'm going to wait in the car. Follow her instructions and we will go back to the penthouse when you are finished". He kissed her and then took the packages and headed for the car while she walked over to the counter.

"Mr. Hart says you have a birthday coming up. He knows what he wants to give you, but he wants to know what you like. So, I am going to show you our necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings, and you get to pick three from each category. And then he's going to come back and pick from your list".

"Alright".

It only took about 20 minutes, but she was able to narrow it down to the top 3 in each category. The saleslady wrote down the item numbers and did a sizing on her for each type and then sent her on her way.

"Thank you".

She left and climbed in the car.

"This is for you, but darling, it's not necessary. Those prices were absolutely outrageous! I don't need anything that nice, honest".

"You deserve the best baby, that's all".

He took the slip from her and put it in his jacket pocket.

"I can't believe I'll actually be entering the last year of my 20's."

"You are going to be the most beautiful 29-year-old in the world".

"You're sweet. I'd rather be 28 again".

They stopped and picked up a quick lunch and then headed back to the Penthouse.

She decided to wear one of her new dresses to the theater that night, and went and got ready as soon as they finished eating.

It was a strapless bright blue knee length dress, that looked fantastic on her.

She paired it with some strappy black heels and a black clutch. She selected a black onyx necklace and came out to the living room.

"Darling, can you fasten this, please?"

"Of course".

He fastened it around her neck and then started kissing it.

"Mmmm".

She finally pulled away.

"Darling, if we don't stop, we won't make it to the theater".

"Can we pick up right here when we get back home?"

"Certainly".

She turned and kissed him a few times.

They headed out and met up with his broker.

He got back in the car.

"Ok darling here are the tickets".

She looked at them.

' _Gutterdamen'._

"Oh darling, are you serious?! I promise you, you'll love it".

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him several times.

"I already do".

"But darling, this is 5 hours long. So, is it going to affect our reservations?"

"It's fine, darling, I promise".

She kissed him and kept kissing him till they got to the theater.

"Darling, after dinner tonight, remind me to show you just how very thankful I am".

"You got it".

He kissed her again and then got out and helped her out.

He had not only gotten them tickets to her favorite opera, but he had gotten them choice seats. That meant that they were allowed to go in before everyone else and choose their seats.

Jonathan let Jennifer choose their seats, and she picked the best ones in the house-middle of the 5th row.

Jonathan was a good sport, and held her hand through the whole thing. He tried to understand it and pay attention.

They went back to the penthouse afterwards, and went inside.

She kicked her shoes off and started to go change into her pajamas.

"Darling, wait. Your surprise is yet to come".

She turned around and embraced him.

"Well, I hired-"

There was a knock at the door.

He went and got it and then came back to her.

"As I was saying, I hired a chef and his team to come prepare a gourmet meal for us. This is Ryan Shelton, and he and his team are going to prepare for us a three-course meal."

"Hi, nice to meet you".

"Ma'am, sir, here is a menu of our options for tonight. If you will each select one item from each category, we will get set up and then begin shortly".

They looked over the menu.

It was quite impressive. For the first course, they could choose from stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes, or bacon ricotta crostini. For the second course, they could each pick a salad or a soup. For their entrée, they could each pick from a steak with 2 sides, grilled chicken with two sides, or grilled fish with 2 sides. Jennifer picked the bacon ricotta crostini, while Jonathan picked the crab cakes. They each picked the same salad, and then she picked the chicken with steamed vegetables and wild rice while he picked the steak with a loaded sweet potato and lemon macaroni and cheese.

He turned on some soft music and poured them some champagne.

They danced in the living room while the chefs worked their magic in the kitchen. He had promised them the first course would be ready in 20 minutes.

They were dancing and just enjoying being together, when he looked deep into her eyes.

"This is birthday present number 1, darling".

"Birthday present? My birthday isn't for 2 weeks yet".

"I know that, but I won't be able to get away to come back here next weekend, and I really wanted to give you a weekend of romance and passion as one of your birthday presents. So, this weekend is present number one".

"Well I love it, almost as much as I love you".

She leaned forward and kissed him passionately.

Their appetizers were ready, so they headed to the dining room table.

Candles were lit, champagne was waiting on them, the whole bit.

Jennifer fed him a bite of the bruschetta while he fed her a bite of the crab cakes.

By the time they were finished, the salads were ready. Jennifer practically devoured hers, she loved the dressing so much. About 10 minutes later, the staff brought and served their entrees.

"Please let us know how you like it, and if you like, we can prepare 2 more of each for you to have tomorrow".

He took a bite of his steak and immediately ordered 2 more. She took a bite of her chicken and ordered one more.

He fed her a bite of his steak and she moaned. It was buttery, garlicy, and had just the right amount of herbs, cooked to perfection. She fed him a bite of her grilled chicken, and he loved it. It was crispy, but not too crispy and seasoned just perfectly.

After they ate, the staff did the dishes and cleaned up. Jonathan paid them handsomely and then saw them out.

Jennifer had just finished washing her face and was crawling into bed when he came in.

He changed into his pajamas and came and joined her in bed.

The minute he got in bed, she reached up and turned out the light.

She climbed on top of him and started kissing his neck. They made mad, passionate love for about 3 hours, with Jennifer fulfilling all of Jonathan's sexual desires, before they fell asleep.

***Sunday***

They had stayed up late making love so they slept really late and didn't wake up till almost noon.

She went and heated up all the leftovers while he grabbed a shower. They each had a steak and half the chicken breast.

Jennifer especially loved the lemony macaroni. After they ate, she grabbed a quick shower and then they packed and headed to the airport.

They were in DC in about 2 hours.

After they were checked into their hotel, she changed clothes into a bright blue halter top, black pants and black heels.

Jonathan changed into a dark gray suit with a blue and gray tie.

They got to Ballard's at 6:45.

"Hi, we have a reservation for Hart at 7 for 3".

"Yes, right this way".

They were taken to their table and Jonathan pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you darling".

He ordered them a bottle of the Rose.

Jennifer saw her dad coming so she stood up and waved to him.

"Hi Pa".

"Hello sweetheart".

They shared an awkward hug and then she introduced him to Jonathan.

"Pa, this is my boyfriend Jonathan Hart. Jonathan, this is my dad, Stephen Edwards".

"Nice to meet you sir".

"Nice to meet you as well".

They looked over the menu and then placed their orders.

"So, sweetheart, what have you been up to?"

"Well, I just started working freelance. I got hired on by a lovely editor and she stated that my work was the best she had seen in ages".

"She hired you for your writing? Horse Puckey. When are you going to get a real job?"

"I have a real job, Pa. I am doing what I love".

"You are living in a fantasy world. Thanks to that Liberal arts college you insisted on attending, you didn't get a real education".

"How can you say that? I happen to write about important topics, real topics, which you would know if you ever took the time to read my work".

"Writing isn't work, it's play".

"Let's agree to disagree. What have you been up to?"

"Well, I had a few meetings this week with Elliott. He misses you terribly and he told me to tell you that he is ready and willing to take you back whenever you come to your senses".

"Not happening, Pa."

"Jennifer, just give him a chance. He's a good man".

"I have a good man. I have Jonathan. I don't need or want Elliott, or anyone else".

"Jonathan, tell me about yourself. What kind of upbringing did you have?"

"Well, my parents passed away when I was little, so I was raised in an orphanage in San Francisco. When I was a teenager, I met the man that I consider to be a father, Max. He took me in, helped me get an education when I left the Navy and now he works for me. He also helped me to start my company, Hart Industries".

"Son, you lost me at orphanage. Anyone who was raised in an orphanage will never amount to their full potential, it's just a fact".

"Pa!"

"I've done very well for myself since leaving the orphanage. I imagine others have as well".

Under the table, he squeezed Jennifer's hand.

Above the table, she poured herself more Rose.

"Pa, Jonathan is very accomplished. He owns several companies and has a lovely home".

"If he doesn't have 'the third' or 'esquire' behind his name, he isn't accomplished. It's as simple as that".

"Well you know what? I'm glad he doesn't have those numbers or letters at the end of his name. Everyone I've ever known in my life who does have those turned out to be a complete and total snob or elitist. Jonathan is the most kind, caring, generous and genuine man I've ever known. He loves me for me, not because of my upbringing, but rather in spite of it. He is respectful, and romantic and courteous and charming, and none of the men you wanted me to date, including and especially Elliott were any of those things".

"Because of your refusal to marry Elliott, I lost out on several million dollars."

"I will tell you now what I told you then- I am a person with feelings, Pa. I am not a pawn to be used in your business deal. How dare you think I would just accept being thrown at anyone who comes along!"

"How dare I? I was trying to improve our family name. How dare you try to sully it by wearing a disgraceful top like that and showing up and introducing me to your boyfriend who is from the wrong side of the tracks?"

"There is nothing disgraceful about my top. So my shoulders are visible-guess what? I don't care. Skin isn't disgraceful, Pa. Jonathan isn't from the wrong side of the tracks, Pa. He's from a better side than you are, that's for sure. And I wish I had never brought my boyfriend to meet you, in fact I wish I hadn't come to see you either."

"The smartest thing I ever did was cut you off. If only I had done it earlier".

"Well you know what? Now it's my turn. You cut me off financially, now I'm cutting you off in all the other ways-emotionally, socially, the whole bit. You and I no longer have a relationship, whatsoever. Jonathan, take as long as you like. I'm going to the bathroom and then I'll be in the car".

She got up and headed to the bathroom without so much as another glance at her father.

Jonathan signaled the waitress.

"Can we get our orders to go, please? And I'll take the check".

"Right away sir".

They sat there in awkward silence for a few moments.

When the waitress brought their meals to go, and the check, Jonathan looked at Stephen.

"For what it's worth, my upbringing was out of my hands. It wasn't the best, but I learned to make the best of it. And I might not have fancy letters behind my name, but I do love your daughter with all of my heart and I intend to marry her if she will let me. I was prepared to ask you for your blessing tonight, but now I no longer care if you approve or not. I will do anything I have to in order to protect her, and sadly, that includes protecting her from you".

He stood up and grabbed their to-go meals and headed out, leaving Stephen sitting at the table.

Jennifer was in the car, and Jonathan could tell she was crying.

He climbed in the car and started it, and then laced his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand.

They drove back to the hotel and went to their room.

He stopped at the front desk and ordered them two hot plates and a beverage cart.

It arrived right after she had changed clothes.

"Ok, so I ordered us two plates so that our food will warm up. And I ordered us a beverage cart. "

She kissed him and then sat on the bed.

They got their plates ready and took them to the small table in the room.

"I figured he would give you a hard time. But I never figured he would be a complete and total ass".

She reached over and put her hand on his.

"I'm sorry Darling. I shouldn't have subjected you to that".

"Darling, this is absolutely and totally not your fault. He is bitter and resentful and closed-minded, but you aren't any of those things".

"I hope I'm nothing like him at all. I meant what I said too, I never want to see him again".

"Do you have any other family?"

"I have a couple of aunts who live in Florida. One is my mom's sister and the other is his".

"Are you close with them?"  
"I was, growing up, very close to his sister. Till he sent me away. She lived in Miami and would visit every other month for a week. Aunt Virginia was always in my corner, no matter what. Aunt Beth, my mom's sister, she's pretty great too. She let me live with her on school vacations after he sent me away and after I graduated. She was never a fan of my dad's. She always told me he was too strict, too unfeeling".

They finished eating and he took the cart to the hallway and came back to the room.

He changed into his pajamas and just held her.

"Darling, I cannot apologize enough for how he threw your upbringing in your face. That was wrong, and he shouldn't have done that. He kept saying that we weren't like that, and yet that's all he showed you, what we aren't like. Or rather, what I'm not like. I suppose it's possible that he has turned into an elitist, and that's fine if he chooses to be that way. I for one think you are wonderful and I'm thankful that you were raised in the orphanage and I'm sorry he couldn't see that".

"Darling, it's ok. He's not the first one to throw that in my face and he won't be the last".

"He better be the last with the Edwards name to do so".

"Why are you thankful I was raised in an orphanage?"

"Because I think it shaped you. I think because you grew up with next to nothing, you realize the value of appreciating what you have. And also, you wouldn't have Max. I'm rather fond of him".

"He's rather fond of you too".

"So now that I'm fatherless, tell me how to deal with it. Do I just forget his birthday, and forget our Sunday night phone calls?"

He nodded.

"It was a little easier for me, because I don't remember my parents. Darling, if you don't want to cut him off, you don't have to."

"I hate that it came to that. But the way he treated you was absolutely uncalled for".

"Well, you did the right thing by walking away. His verbal abuse was only going to get worse. And you're a grown woman, you can take care of yourself. And you do, rather nicely. And you aren't completely abandoned, you have me. And I happen to think that you are going to be even more accomplished now that you are writing freelance and it's entirely possible that one of your articles might just end up on his desk one day. And he will only have himself to blame for not having a relationship with you".

"My mom would be making him sleep on the couch for treating me and you like he did tonight, if she was still here. She would have yelled at him straight up in the restaurant and would have kept it going till they got home and probably for a few more hours".

"So you get your feistiness from her?"  
"Oh, most definitely. I get everything from her".

He gave her a backrub and just did everything he could to make her feel better.

She fell asleep in his arms, and he fell asleep holding her and held her all night long.


	15. Chapter 15

***3 weeks later***

It was the day before her birthday and Jennifer was furiously trying to finish an article.

Marcia had loved everything she had written so far and knew this one would be no different.

She was at home when the phone rang, and she absentmindedly reached over and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi beautiful".

"Well hi. How are you?"

"Fine. Any chance I get to see you tonight? I'm thinking dinner and a movie at my house".

"That sounds wonderful. What time should I be there?"

"How about 6?"

"6 is perfect. You mentioned the other night about us going away for the weekend. Should I bring my bags now?"  
"No, because we can't go till Saturday".

"Oh, very well. Well, I love you, and I will see you at 6".

"I love you too, and I can't wait".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone.

About 30 minutes later, her phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Jennifer? It's Aunt Beth".

"Hi! How are you?"

"I'm fine. I was just calling to wish you a happy birthday. I know it's not till tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure I reached you".

"Well thank you. I'm glad you did. I've been meaning to call you".

"Are you still writing for the paper?"

"No, I'm writing freelance now. And I love it".

"You always were a wonderful writer, sweet girl. I'm sure this won't be any different".

"So far, it's better".

"That's great. Have you been back to Maryland lately?"

"Actually, my boyfriend and I went to DC a couple weeks ago."

"I see. I take it you saw your father?"

"Yes. It didn't go well".

"Well, that's what I called to talk to you about. I saw your father myself last weekend, he was down here for an art gallery opening. He seems like he's getting dementia or Alzheimer's or something. He's so mean and angry".

"No, he's not getting either one of those. He's mad at me and it's taking over his life".

"What could he possibly have to be mad at you about?"  
"Well, several years ago, he tried to marry me off to someone. And I agreed to go on a date with him and ended up going on several dates with him. But I was less than impressed and realized there was no way in hell that I was going to spend the rest of my life with this person, so I broke things off. Pa cut me off financially and has refused to help me out at all, regardless of the reason, since then. And when Jonathan and I had dinner with him, he was rude and insulting to Jonathan about his upbringing and the fact that he grew up in an orphanage. He told him to his face that anyone who doesn't have 'the third' or 'esquire' behind his name will never amount to anything and that people who grow up in orphanages will never amount to their true potential. And that night, I happened to have on a halter top, that exposed my shoulders. Not my whole back, but my shoulders. And he said I was disgracing the family".

"Oh my. So what did you do?"  
"I told him that he had cut me off financially, and that I was cutting him off in every other way-socially, emotionally, biologically, all of it. As of that moment, he and I wouldn't have any kind of relationship. Then I got up and headed to the bathroom, and I haven't spoken to him since".

"Well good for you. Your mother would be proud of you that you aren't letting him push you around".

"I think so too. Listen, the next time Jonathan and I are on the East Coast, I promise we will come down to Florida. I want you to meet him. You and Aunt Virginia are the only ones who have ever really been on my side where he's concerned".

"I'm happy to meet him whenever sweet girl. Well, I hope you have a happy birthday tomorrow, and I hope he spoils you rotten, like you deserve. I love you, and Uncle Nick sends his love as well".

"Thank you, I love you too".

They hung up and she got back to work.

She finished her article by 4, and went and got ready for her date with Jonathan.

***Jonathan's house***

Jennifer pulled up at 6, right on time. She had put on some salmon colored skinny jeans, some black peep toe heels and a black cap-sleeve top.

Jonathan greeted her at the door.

"Hi, come on in".

"Hi".

She leaned up and kissed him and framed his face with her hands.

Max came in a few minutes later to find them still kissing.

"Ok you two, get a room".

"Say that again, Max and we will".

She turned and leaned back against Jonathan and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hi Miss Edwards. Dinner is almost ready. I just need to know, where would you two like to eat-patio, or dining room?"

"Patio is fine, Max".

"Thank you, Max".

She reached up and grabbed his arms while he started to kiss her neck.

"How about a cocktail with dinner?"

"Yes please".

They walked over to the bar and he made them each a cocktail and then they took it out to the patio.

"Ok you two, a special pre-birthday dinner for the one and only Miss Edwards. A one of a kind, Max original, shrimp alfredo with angel hair, mushrooms and tomatoes. A chopped salad on the side and some of my famous garlic herb and butter bread".

"Smells wonderful, Max".

Jennifer took a bite.

"This is amazing".

They had a nice, romantic dinner and then headed upstairs to watch a movie.

She gave him a backrub while they were watching the movie, and scratched his chest some.

After the movie ended, they sat there a little while longer.

"Darling, do you know what today is?"

"Thursday".

"Yes, but I meant the date".

"November 1".

"Work with me here, darling. Think about the date".

He leaned over and kissed her neck.

"Give me a hint".

"Jonathan, it's our one-month anniversary".

"So it is".

He toasted her and then kissed her, and they clinked glasses and then took a sip.

After they were finished eating, Max came out with a small birthday cake just for Jennifer.

Jonathan and Max sang to her and then she blew out the candles.

"Thanks you guys".

"Happy Birthday Miss Edwards".

Max leaned down and kissed her cheek.

As she ate her cake and fed Jonathan some bites, she looked at him.

"So why aren't we going tomorrow night?"

"Well, I got invited to a dinner party. And I used to go to them all the time, with Pam, and I haven't been since she died, so I figured it was a sign that we should go together on your birthday, and let my dinner party friends meet you. That is, if you don't mind".

"Of course, I don't mind".

He took her hand and led her inside and they snuggled on the couch awhile.

"Where is the dinner party?"

"At a friend's house. So, it starts at 7, so how about I pick you up at 6:30?"

"That sounds perfect".

They sat by the fire for a little while longer, kissing and holding each other.

"Darling, what if you came to the office tomorrow around 11:30, and we went to lunch? Anywhere you'd like."

"That sounds nice".

Max came in and placed a gift on the table.

"Happy Birthday Miss Edwards. Mr. H. told me what to get you, so I hope you don't think it's too impersonal".

"I'm sure it will be fine, Max. He has great taste".

She opened it and found an answering machine.

"Oh, I love it! I've been meaning to get one of these. Thank you, Max".

She stood up and hugged him.

"Well, darling, I'd better follow you home so you can get it all set up".

"Fine with me. Night Max, see you Saturday".

"See you then, Miss Edwards".

Jonathan walked Jennifer to her car, and opened the door for her.

She sat in the driver's seat and went to start it but it wouldn't start.

"Damn, not again".

She tried several times, and but got nowhere.

"Pop the hood, darling".

She popped the hood.

He looked around a little bit and then came back to her window.

"I think it's your starter or your alternator".

"Well, I guess we better call a tow truck".

"It's too late. I tell you what, I'll drive you home, and you can leave it here and I'll call a tow truck to tow it to Crawley's tomorrow".

"Ok thank you".

He gave her a ride home and went inside with her.

She got the answering machine all set up and then went and put on a nightgown.

"Want to stay the night?"

"Yes, but I have an early meeting in the morning. I tell you what though, we can stay together all weekend".

"It's a deal, sailor".

She kissed him a few times.

"I love you, thank you for my pre-birthday dinner".

"I love you too, thank you for being born".

Several kisses later, he left and she locked the door behind him.

"Call me when you get home".

"I will. Sweet dreams".

She had just crawled into bed when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"I'm home. Listen, Max noticed that your back window was down and he couldn't get it to roll up, so he and I pushed your car into the garage."

"Thanks, glad he noticed that".

"Well, I will see you for lunch tomorrow, I love you".

"I love you too, can't wait".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone.

***Friday***

Jennifer woke up to the phone ringing at 7:30. It was Jonathan.

"Happy birthday darling. I love you, I hope I can make this the happiest birthday you've ever had".

"I love you too, thank you. You already have".

"I hate that I have this breakfast meeting, otherwise I'd come take you to breakfast".

"It's fine, darling. I love you".

"I love you too, all my heart. Max will pick you up and bring you to the office since your car is out of commission".

"Wonderful. I'll be ready".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone, and then got up and took a long, blissful relaxing bubble bath.

She decided on a green cold shoulder top, black skinny pants and black heels.

Max picked her up right on time, and drove her to the office.

"Thanks Max".

"Anytime, Miss Edwards".

She walked in and headed to Jonathan's office.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"I'm Jennifer. I'm here to see Jonathan".

"Oh, you're Miss Edwards. I'm Deanne, his secretary. It's nice to formally meet you".

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you as well".

"If I may, you have done wonders for him. It's nice to see him happy and smiling again. Before he met you, it had been a long time since that happened."

"Well thank you, I'm glad I make him happy".

"It looks like he's off his conference call, if you'd like to go in".

"Thank you. And thank you for taking care of him while he's here".

"My pleasure".

She walked in and saw him sitting at his desk making some notes.

He looked stressed.

"Hi".

"Hi, I'm glad you're here".

He stood up and kissed her and hugged her.

"Birthday girl sure looks pretty".

"Well, thank you. You look like something's wrong".

"I just had a conference call and I made sure I was the last to hang up. I listed everyone on the call and checked off their names as they hung up. But someone else was there, and I don't know who it was. Before the conference call, I got a phone call that was very unsettling. I can't help but think the two are related".

"What did the caller say?"

"That if I didn't come clean about the Bartlett Electronics deal, that I might live to regret it".

"Darling, do you have an IT department?"

"Yes, one of the best".

"Have them trace the call and find out the number. Then you will know who you are dealing with. Once you find that out, schedule a meeting face to face".

"That's not a bad solution. I like it".

He leaned forward and kissed her.

"If you keep coming up with good ideas like that, I'm going to have to put you on the payroll".

"Only if my desk can be next to yours".

They headed to lunch then, and Jonathan told Deanne he would be gone two hours.

Jennifer picked Hibachi, so he took her to a new place-Takura's.

She ordered the lobster, steak and shrimp, while he ordered the lobster, steak and scallops.

After they had ordered, he pulled a box out of his jacket pocket.

It was from Tiffany's.

"Happy Birthday".

She unwrapped it to find 2 boxes taped together, end to end. She opened the small one first.

It was a gorgeous pair of diamond and platinum hoop earrings.

"Oh Jonathan, they are absolutely gorgeous!"

"You like them? They weren't on your list, but they looked like you".

"I love them! They are the most magnificent earrings I've ever seen! Thank you, darling".

She leaned over and kissed him.

"Darling, there's more".

She opened the longer box and practically squealed. It was the diamond bracelet she had put on the list. Set in platinum, round diamonds were linked by tiny platinum chain links.

"Darling, I put this on the list because I….well, I loved it. But I never dreamed you would get it. This is too much, I don't deserve all this".

"You deserve all of it and then some, darling. I love you".

She leaned over and kissed him several times.

"You keep this up and I'm going to want to marry you, Mr. Hart".

He kissed her again and then fastened the bracelet on her wrist.

She kept looking at how it caught the light.

He put his arm behind her as she sat back closer to him.

"Darling, I'm a little nervous for tonight".

"Don't be, they are going to love you, I swear".

"I hope so. But if they don't, that's ok. You knew them first, so I'll understand".

"Jennifer, I promise, it's going to be fine".

The chef came and fixed their lunch then and Jonathan made sure they made a big deal about it being her birthday. They sang and clapped for her. He thought it was adorable that her face turned red.

After lunch, he dropped her off at her house before he headed back to the office.

"I love you, I'll pick you up at 6:30".

"I love you too, thank you for my birthday lunch and my presents."

She kissed him a few times and then he headed back to the office.

She walked over to the phone and looked at the answering machine. No messages.

She went to the bedroom and changed into her workout clothes and did a couple exercise videos. After she was all good and sweaty, she took a nice shower and then started getting ready. She finally decided on wearing some black pants, a silver metallic cowl neck sweater tunic, and her black stilettos.

She curled her hair and pulled it back the way she had worn it the first night he met her.

She sprayed on some of her favorite perfume, and then put on the earrings and bracelet he had given her that day.

She was ready precisely at 6:15.

He got there right on time, and had several boxes with him.

"HI darling. These are the boxes for the secret project. Everything related to that is in these boxes".

"Wonderful, let's put them in the office".

She helped him carry them in. There were 8 legal boxes in all.

After he carried the last box in, he wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm so glad to be spending time with you tonight".

"I'm glad to be spending time with you too".

He gave her a few kisses.

"Darling, I have a bottle of wine, do you think we should take it as a hostess gift?"  
"No, that's ok. We don't have to do that".

"Are you sure? I don't want to come off as ill-mannered".

"You won't, I promise".

She hesitated and then decided to trust him.

"Ok, let's go. We have to stop by my house first, and grab something".

"Alright".

As they drove to his house, he told her about her car.

"Crawley said he didn't have the space for your car today and since your window won't go up till we can get the car started, he said he didn't want to risk it in the yard. So, when a spot opens up next week, probably on Monday, he'll come tow it, free of charge, and fix it".

"That's very kind of him".

"He's a good guy".

"Yeah, he sounds it".

She laced her fingers through his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

As they pulled up to his house, she noticed that there was a yellow balloon tied to his mailbox.

"What's that balloon doing on the mailbox?"

"Someone from the office is coming by to get something and I wanted to make sure they knew which house it was. Since it was their first time, I had Max tie a balloon to the mailbox."

"You're very clever, you know that?"  
"I have my moments".

He leaned over and kissed her and then got out and opened the door for her.

He grabbed her hand and led her into the house.

"Darling, why are we coming in the front door? We always come in through the garage".

"It's just easier this way".

He tried the door but it was locked.

"Dang it, I forgot my front door key. Better ring the bell for Max".

He rang the bell a few times and then Max opened the door.

"Hi you two".

They walked into the kitchen and to the sunroom.

"SURPRISE!"


	16. Chapter 16

Jennifer was in shock.

"Darling, this is your surprise birthday-slash-inaugural dinner party party".

She turned and hugged him while everyone clapped.

"I can't believe you did this".

"Well, we got invited to a dinner party. And I declined because it was your birthday. And then they insisted that we come anyways, and I agreed only if we could have it here. And when I agreed to pay for it, they let me".

Everyone laughed.

"You're wonderful".

She gave him a kiss and a long hug.

"Ok everyone, so this is Jennifer Edwards. Darling, this is the dinner party crowd."

Everyone introduced themselves to her. By the end of the night, she had met Dr. Kendall, Myra, Marlene, Laura, the whole crowd.

"Everyone, the buffet is now open. Miss Edwards, you may go first".

"Thanks Max".

After everyone had fixed their plates, they all found places to sit. The women were mainly in the sunroom while the men were in the living room and kitchen.

The women all sat and talked with her while the men all talked about business and sports.

Towards the end of the evening, they started asking Jennifer about her birthday.

"Well, a couple weekends ago, Jonathan took me with him to New York City for the weekend, and we got tickets to my favorite opera. So that was present number 1. Then last night, he had Max make me a glorious dinner, that he was calling a pre-birthday dinner. Then today, he took me to lunch and gave me this bracelet and these earrings. I thought that was it, but he apparently had planned this party as well".

"He loves you. He's had a rough road these past years, it's good to see him back acting like himself".

"He's good for me too. We had a rough start, but I think we've turned the corner".

Just then, Jonathan and Max wheeled in a cake with lots of candles.

Everyone started singing Happy Birthday to her and she blew the candles out.

Max took the candles out and started to cut the cake, while Jonathan got Jennifer some more champagne.

Everyone started going home around 11. They all hugged Jennifer and told her how glad they were to meet her.

"Thank you so much for coming, it was so nice to meet you as well".

As soon as the party was over, Jonathan embraced Jennifer.

"See, I told you they would love you".

"You rascal. I can't believe you thought of all this".

She hugged him for a few minutes.

"Darling, I have to tell you something. Can you run me back to my apartment? I forgot my bag tonight".

"Certainly".

They headed to the kitchen to help Max finish cleaning up.

"Mr. H., if you don't mind, I think I might hit an all-night poker game tonight."

"I don't mind at all, Max. Where is it?"

"In Santa Barbara".

"I tell you what. It's been a while since I drove the mustang. Why don't you take it tonight?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Can't keep holding on to the past, Max. She's not coming back and there's no point in keeping it under the tarp all the time."

"Darling, you don't have to do this because of me. I know that her things are special to you".

"They are. But if we don't use them, they will just rot and that's not good for anyone".

He put his hands on her shoulders.

"She is my past, you are my future. Simple as that".

He turned to Max.

"Jennifer and I are going to run back to her apartment for a minute. Be careful going to the poker game. See you tomorrow".

"See you tomorrow Max".

He walked her out to the car and opened the door for her.

He slid in the driver's seat next to her.

She grabbed his hand and kissed it.

"I'm proud of you, darling. You have really opened up and I know that wasn't easy for you."

"You are absolutely the best thing that has ever happened to me. Without you, I would still be closed off and bitter and sad."

He gave her a few kisses and then they headed to her apartment.

She ran in and grabbed her bag, and quickly changed into more comfortable clothes.

He watched her as she put her new earrings and her new bracelet into the velvet lined bag and then into her jewelry box.

She put on some grey wide legged fleece pants and a teal long-sleeved top and some black flip flops.

"Ok, I'm ready. I'm sorry, I completely forgot my bag earlier".

"Oh that's alright."

As they headed out, she stopped and looked at her answering machine.

No messages.

He picked up on it and pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm sorry, baby. I know you were hoping-"

"It is what it is. And what it is, is his choice. And it's out of my hands".

"For what it's worth, I love you with all my heart and soul".

"That is worth everything to me. You are worth everything to me".

She kissed him passionately for a few minutes and then they headed back to his house.

He explained his plans to her.

"So, I figured we could stay at my house tonight and then tomorrow morning we can go on our trip".

"And where is our trip going to take us?"

"To San Diego. There's a resort there, that I'm thinking of investing in. I thought we could check it out".

"Sounds wonderful".

The road to his house was completely backed up.

They sat still for several minutes.

"I wonder what's going on".

"I can't see anything on this side".

He let the top down and she stood up and tried to look over the other cars.

"I can't see anything-there's some kind of tall truck in the way".

A few minutes later, they started moving again.

When they got up to the entrance to his neighborhood, the security guard stopped him.

"Hi, we are just going home".

"Ok, stay to the right. There's a disturbance, but if you go slow they should let you through".

As they pulled through the gate, Jennifer turned to Jonathan.

"I wonder what he meant by disturbance".

"Could be anything-ambulance, police cars, fire trucks. Just means that something is blocking part of the road".

They got closer to his house and started seeing lights.

As soon as they got to Jonathan's block, they realized that his house was completely in flames.

"Oh my god, Max!"

He threw the car in park and started running towards the house.

The firemen stopped him.

"My houseman, he's my father, he's in there".

"I'm right here, Mr. H."

Jennifer got to Jonathan and put her arms around him.

"Max, what happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm a little smoky, but I'm ok. I was in my room changing for the poker game. And I sat down to get my money out of my fireproof safe. And I come out of the bedroom and I smell something and I look over and the drapes in the sunroom is on fire. So, I tried to put the flames out, but they spread too fast. I grabbed the phone to call the fire department, but the line was dead. So, I ran to your room, grabbed your firesafe, ran to the office and grabbed the box marked 'Important Papers' and then ran back to my room to get my fire safe. I tried to get us some clothes Mr. H., but there wasn't no time. And then I hit the garage door, and tried to push Miss Edwards car out of the garage, but it wouldn't budge. I guess one of the neighbors called the fire department because the next thing I know, they was here. I backed the mustang out just in time".

"Good work Max".

"I'm sorry, Miss Edwards, Mr. H. I tried hard, honest I did. I tried to save it all".

"Oh Max, it's not your fault".

"She's right Max. These things happen".

They sat there with him till the fire captain came to talk to him.

"I'm sorry, sir. Your home is a total loss. We tried to save it, but we couldn't".

He nodded.

"Thanks".

He filled out the contact form and handed it back to the fire captain.

"Darling, I put your number down, is that ok?"

"Of course, I don't mind".

Jonathan stayed till they told him he could go.

"Max, where are you headed?"  
"I'll get a hotel. I'll be fine".

"Ok, well call us at Jennifer's if you need us".

"Will do, Mr. H."

He turned to Jennifer.

"Can you and I go back to your place for tonight? I'll get us a place tomorrow".

"Certainly".

Just as they were about to leave, the fire captain came back over.

"I think we found the cause. This trash can in the sunroom, where you said the fire started, has a bunch of candles in it. Looks like they weren't completely extinguished".

Max hung his head.

"Mr. H., that's Miss Edwards birthday candles. I threw them out when I was cutting the cake. This is my fault, I did this".

"Oh, Max, it's not your fault. Jonathan and I are just as much to blame as you are."

"How so?"

"We should have checked the candles before we left the house."

"And it was my birthday cake. So, we are sharing the blame here, I refuse to let you shoulder it alone".

"You two are wonderful".

Max and Jonathan divvied up what he had salvaged from the house.

"You need some cash for clothes, Max?"

"Nah, I'm ok. I got the cash I was going to use at the game tonight and I have an emergency bag of clothes that I keep in the trunk of the car for my late-notice overnights. I'll be ok, Mr. H."

"Ok, well where do you think you will stay?"

"I'll get a room at the Palms".

"Here, Max. Let me get it".

Jonathan handed him a credit card.

"Thanks Mr. H."

"Call us at my apartment if you need us. Come by if you need to".

"I'll be ok, Miss Edwards".

She and Jonathan walked back to the car.

"Want me to drive?"

"No, I got it".

She tried to love on him some while he was driving.

They got back to her apartment and went inside.

"Darling, do you want to go get you some clothes somewhere?"

"I'll be ok tonight. We can do that in the morning".

She headed to the bedroom and put on a nightgown.

He came in a few minutes later and stripped down to his boxer briefs.

He crawled into bed next to her.

"So tomorrow, instead of taking you on a birthday trip, I will be calling my insurance company, and then calling my real estate agent".

"It's ok, darling. Honest. All that matters to me is that you are ok, and Max is ok".

"I hate to impose on you like this".

"Darling, you in my bed is not an imposition".

She kissed him, and then just held him the rest of the night.

***Saturday***

Jonathan got up before Jennifer and headed to the den. He called the phone company and had them transfer his calls to her number. He called his insurance and filed a claim on his house. And he started making a list of the items in his house so the insurance company would know the value of everything he lost. He was about to call and book them a room at a hotel when she came out to the den.

"Morning darling".

"Morning. Darling, do you want to stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel, or the Westin? I haven't booked us a room yet".

"Darling, why don't we just stay here? It's free. It's close to everything. It's comfortable".

"Yeah, that's a good idea".

He called his real estate agent and asked her to find him something to rent while he decided whether to build or sell the lot.

He handed the phone to her.

"You should probably call your car insurance company and file a claim. Here is the name of my agent and their phone number-my insurance will handle your insurance".

"How about some coffee first?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea".

She made them coffee and started to make them breakfast.

"Bacon and eggs, honey?"

"No thanks. I'm not hungry".

Her phone rang and she motioned for him to answer it.

"Hello?...this is he…..Hi…I see…..what? That's outrageous…ok, we will be there. Thank you".

He hung up.

"Well, they have now discovered that it wasn't just the candles that caused the fire."

"What do they think it was?"

"Well, there are patterns that an accelerant was used, and that it originated in the sunroom and trails upstairs and up and down the halls."

"Why would someone do that?"

"There's more. They say they have a suspect. Max. They arrested him and have taken him in for questioning. We can meet him at the police station at 2".

He quickly dialed a number.

"Yeah, Owen? It's Jonathan. Can you do me a favor and go to the police station on Buehler Street? Max is there, and I think he needs an attorney. Long story short, but someone torched my house last night and the police think it was him. I know he's innocent. I just know it….thank you. We'll see you there at 2".

He hung up the phone and Jennifer brought him his coffee.

"I cannot believe they think Max did it".

"Fire captain says he was the only one there who would have had the time and the opportunity".

"But why? Max loves you, he would never hurt you like that".

"That's the part that doesn't make sense. Max isn't a criminal".

He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. She rubbed his back some.

"Ok, new plan. We are going to go shopping for some outfits for me. And we are going to go meet Max at the police station and bail him out if we need to, do whatever we need to do. And then we are going to prove that he is innocent. That is the official plan".

"I love it when you are official".

She leaned over and kissed him and then headed to get ready.


	17. Chapter 17

***Los Angeles Mall***

Jennifer and Jonathan pulled up to the mall and parked and went inside.

"Where do you want to start?"

"I have no idea where to start".

"Come with me".

She grabbed his hand and led him to a store that sold polos, khakis, and casual clothes.

He grabbed several pairs of khakis and several polos.

"Darling, why don't you go try those on?"

"I guess I could".

"I'll find you some more and then bring them to you".

She went and found him some more khaki pants and some new packs of underwear and pajamas and socks and then took them to the dressing room.

She knocked and he let her in.

The saleslady eyed her going to the dressing room and saw her go inside.

"Ok, here are few more pairs of khakis-3 in the size you have on now, and 2 in one size bigger. And I found you some jeans and some underwear and socks and pajamas".

He tried them both on and decided he liked the smaller pairs better.

He was taking everything off and she stepped forward and started kissing his chest and neck.

"You look pretty hot in a pair of tight khakis".

She reached down and grabbed his butt.

"Would you be careful? Someone might hear us".

"So? Let them."

She kissed his neck a few times.

He was just about to get into things when the saleslady knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, the female dressing rooms are across the store, you need to exit this one. Thank you".

Jennifer buried her face in his neck as she stifled her laughter.

"Let's continue this at your house later, ok?"

She nodded.

She kissed him and then sat down while he got dressed and they both left the dressing room together.

After he checked out, they headed to another store and got him a few more things.

They left the mall and went to his tailor and he had him make him 3 tuxes, and 10 suits. He ordered some dress shoes as well.

They made it back to her apartment with just enough time to change clothes and get ready for Max's hearing.

They made it to the courthouse about 10 minutes before it started.

Jonathan saw his lawyer standing outside the courtroom.

"Hi, thanks for helping out."

"No problem. I've talked to Max, and I agree with you-he didn't do this. But it's going to be hard to prove that he didn't do it, because he was the only one in the house. He theorizes that someone must have stayed behind at the party and did it while he wasn't in the room. But he also said he doesn't want to believe that either because he knows that the people at the party were your friends and he would hate to accuse one of your friends of doing that".

"I know that it wasn't any of my friends, and I know that it wasn't Max either".

"Well, then we have an uphill battle to fight. I have contacted the head of your HOA and asked him to contact your neighbors and see if any of them had any cameras that would have picked up anything".

"That's a great start, thank you".

"Have you hired anyone new at the office lately?"

"Yes, actually. I hired a couple new janitors and one new accountant".

"I assume you did all the requisite background checks?"

"Yes, we did".

They walked in and took their seats. A few minutes later, Max was brought in, in handcuffs. Jonathan hung his head. Jennifer reached over and squeezed his hand.

They took the handcuffs off Max and then he whispered to his lawyer for a moment. His lawyer nodded and then Max turned around.

"Hi Mr. H., Miss Edwards. Thanks for coming".

"How you holding up, Max?"

"I'm fine, Mr. H."

Jennifer squeezed his hand.

"We will get you out of this, however we can. We love you".

Max returned to his seat and then the hearing began.

Jonathan's lawyer tried his best to get him released on an ankle monitor, but the judge refused to release him to a hotel.

"Defendant will remain in custody until the next hearing, in 6 weeks".

Max stood as they put on the cuffs again.

"Sorry Max, we tried. We will come visit you, we promise".

"I'll be ok, Mr. H."

"We love you, Max. This isn't over".

They led him away and Jonathan and Jennifer both just felt sick.

Owen promised he would be in touch.

"Thanks, I appreciate it".

Jonathan and Jennifer headed out of the courthouse.

"How about some lunch, darling?"

"Yeah. And we are going to stop by the office, there's something I want to check on".

***Hart Industries***

They pulled up and parked and then headed to his office.

She laced her fingers through his and let him lead her to the office.

"Darling, what are we doing here?"  
"I want to check the records of the new hires, and get their names to Owen, so he can check them out."

He walked into his office and behind his desk.

Deanne had left a note for Jonathan.

"Please call me, it's important".

He picked up the phone and called her at home.

"Hi, Deanne? It's Mr. Hart. I just came into the office and got your note. What's going on?"  
"Can we meet somewhere? I have to tell you something".

"Sure. How about The Taco Shack, on Riverside, in say, half an hour?"

"Perfect, see you there".

He hung up, found the files and they headed out.

***The Taco Shack***

They walked in and found Deanne already sitting at a table.

"Hi, thanks for coming".

"Certainly. What's going on?"

"Ok, so there's this guy that was hired a few weeks ago at the office, to the maintenance crew. He asked me out for drinks and I said no, because I had other plans. Well, it just so happened that my plans and his plans overlapped and we ended up at the same place, which was a party at my friend's house. So, we are sitting around a bonfire in the backyard of my friend's place, and everyone starts telling their deepest darkest secret. And when it's his turn, he tells everyone that he was hired by someone as a 'retaliator'. Long story short, he gets paid to exact revenge on others. So, this guy that was there started asking him what he has done, and he stated that he's done it all-tampered with cars, set houses on fire, put things in people's drinks to make them sick. You name it, he's done it, or he will do it. So, someone asked him how he could live with himself and he stated that the payoff is more than worth it. And then he described how he burned down a house just last night before he came to our party, and after reading about your housefire in the paper this morning, I think he was talking about yours".

"Who is this guy?"

"Jordan Markwell".

"What did he say happened?"

"He said he went to your house so that he could pretend to be there on official business. And then he saw that you were having a party, and he said that the man who answered the door thought he was part of the invited crowd, so he went with it, hid upstairs in a bedroom till the party was over and then took the opportunity to set the house on fire when everyone was gone".

"I see. Do you know where he is now?"

"No, I don't. We had a drink together but he's not really my type. And then once I heard about his retaliation career, I decided we definitely weren't going to happen".

"Did he say why he set fire to Jonathan's house?"

"No, he just said he had been hired to a do a job and that's what he was doing".

"So, this doesn't make sense. Why would he get a job with my company and then come set my house on fire?"

"He stated that he got the job at Hart Industries because he needed the insurance. He works for the other person on the side".

"Did he say who this other person is?"

"No, he didn't".

"Well unfortunately, that's not enough to go on. I will keep my eye on him, though, and thank you for the information".

"Sorry I couldn't be more help".

"Oh, that's alright. It's not your fault."

"Well, I will see you at the office on Monday".

"Oh, you don't have to run off. Stay and have lunch with us".

"No, I can't. I have to meet my sister for a pedicure. But thanks anyways".

"Have a nice time".

"See you Monday".

Deanne left and the waitress came and took Jonathan and Jennifer's order.

"I just can't believe that Max is in jail for something like this. It's like the police aren't even trying to find anyone else".

"We will figure it out, we will".

They had a nice lunch, even though Jonathan was very quiet. Jennifer was trying to make him feel better, but nothing she was doing was working.

After they were finished eating, they headed back to Jennifer's.

***Jennifer's apartment***

They walked in with all of Jonathan's packages just as the phone was ringing.

She ran and grabbed it.

"Hello?...Sure, he's right here".

She passed the phone to Jonathan.

"Hello?"

He chatted for a few moments while she took his packages to the bedroom and started putting his clothes away.

She had just moved all of her suitcases into the office closet so he could use the closet they were in when he came in.

"Darling, great news. Owen talked to the judge and was able to get him to reconsider. He's releasing Max on his own recognizance. We can go pick him up right now".

"Great. Darling, why don't you go pick him up and get him settled, and I will make us dinner?"

"Great idea. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you".

He gave her several kisses.

"I love you too".

He left and she went to figure out what to make for dinner.

She finally decided on shrimp scampi, with a chopped salad.

She got it all simmering and then covered it and went to change into her sexiest nightgown.

She grabbed the flowers he had brought her the other night and gave them some fresh water and put them on the table.

She found some candles and put them in the candle holders and set them on the table.

She put on some soft music and then went and sprayed on the perfume that he really liked and clipped her hair up.

She was in the bedroom straightening up when she heard him come in.

"Jennifer?"

"In here".

He turned and saw all of her preparations.

"Oh boy. Jennifer-"

He came into the bedroom.

"Hi darling".

She went to him and kissed him passionately.

"Darling-we aren't alone. I brought Max back here with me. He's joining us for dinner, I hope you don't mind".

"No, I don't mind".

She quickly changed into some sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had planned anything special".

"It's ok, really".

They walked out to the living room and found Max sitting on the couch.

"Hi Miss Edwards".

"Hi Max".

She walked over and hugged him and then started setting a third place at the table.

She took the candles and flowers off the table, and then checked on dinner.

"Ok, this is ready".

Jonathan helped her get it all on the table.

"How you feel Max?"

"Strange. I know I didn't torch your home. It was my home too. Why would I set fire to the only place I had to lay my head? Don't make no sense".

"You're right, Max, it doesn't make sense".

"I can't believe they would even consider that you would do that".

"I don't want to believe that someone came to the house with the intentions of torching it, but nothing else makes sense".

"Max, do you still have the credit card I gave you?"  
"Yeah, Mr. H, I still got it."

"Good. Take it and buy yourself some new clothes, whatever you need. I'll get you a hotel room tonight where you can stay awhile. As soon as my realtor finds me a place to rent, we can move in there".

"Sounds good, Mr. H."

"And I fully expect my insurance company to reimburse me for everything we lost".

"I hope so".

They had a quiet dinner, and then Jennifer did the dishes while Jonathan took Max to get a hotel room.

He came back about 2 hours later and found her on the couch watching a movie.

"Hi, did Max get settled?"  
"Physically, yeah. He's a wreck emotionally though".

"I can only imagine".

"I'm sorry we wrecked your dinner plans".

"You didn't really wreck anything. He's more important, darling. It's alright".

"We drove by the house and picked up the wagon. I think tomorrow I'll be able to go through everything and see if there's anything left to salvage".

She handed him the remote and snuggled up to his chest.

"Baby, have you heard from your father?"

"No".

"Have you thought about calling him?"

"I've thought about not calling him".

"Jennifer-hear me out. This whole thing with Max has made me realize that everything can change in an instant. We don't know how much time we have, and you said it yourself-you don't know how many more dinners you will have your dad".

"Yes, I do. Zero".

"Jennifer, be reasonable. You're his daughter, I'm sure he misses you just as much as you miss him".

She sat up and looked at him.

"Jonathan, leave it alone. My phone is one of the fancy ones that rings when people call it. He knows how to do that and if he wanted to make it ring, he would have by now. He hasn't".

"Have you made his phone ring?"

"Why should I? I'm not the one that attacked him in the restaurant, Jonathan. He attacked me. He said I was unintelligent, he stated that I didn't have a real job, he's never once in his life or mine said that he was proud of me or that he loved me and he didn't do it that night either. And he attacked you because of your upbringing, which is uncalled for and unforgiveable".

"I understand that. But babe, forgiving him isn't something you do for him, it's something you do for you".

"Jonathan, I don't want to talk about this. He made his choice, and I finally made mine".

"I just don't want you to have any regrets, darling. There's going to come a day, like it or not, when you won't have the chance to apologize to him."

"Apologize?! You expect me to apologize to that man?! Unbelievable!"

She got up and stormed into the bedroom, leaving him on the couch.


	18. Chapter 18

***Sunday***

Jonathan had waited till Jennifer had fallen asleep before he came to bed.

She woke up around 10 to find him holding her and eased out of his embrace.

She was in the kitchen making breakfast when he came in.

"Morning".

"Morning. Coffee's ready. French toast is almost ready".

"You cooked last night, let me cook this one".

"Oh that's ok, it's almost done".

He poured himself a cup of coffee and then set the table.

She handed him his plate and then set hers at her place.

She was walking back towards the stove when he pulled her onto his lap.

"Jonathan!"

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry about last night. You're a grown woman, if you don't want to call your dad, that's your choice. I shouldn't have interfered".

"Thank you".

She hugged on him and loved on him for a few minutes before getting up.

After they finished breakfast, he helped her do the dishes and clean the kitchen.

"So aside from going to your house, what else do you want to do today?"  
"This".

He picked her up and kissed her passionately.

He carried her to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed.

She quickly took her nightgown off and he quickly stepped out of his pajama pants.

She pulled the covers back for him and he climbed under and took her in his arms.

"You are so beautiful".

He captured her lips with his and deftly parted her lips with his tongue.

He moved his kisses to her neck and over to her earlobe, nibbling for just a minute.

She ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed her.

He moved down and started nibbling on her breasts and bit her nipple, causing her to arch her back.

"Ohhhhhh".

He moved his kisses back to her neck.

She opened her legs, allowing him to shift his weight and settle in a little closer to her.

They shared a very intense, ardent, and fervent kiss. It was a kiss that left her breathless; confused about what had just taken place but longing for so much more of it.

He sat up and grabbed a condom, and she leaned behind him and kissed his neck while he put it on.

She was blowing in his ear and making him lose concentration.

After he was all set, she laid back down and he climbed on top of her again.

He ran his hands up and down her body, kissing her while he did so.

Quickly and easily, he entered her completely. She instantly started matching his hip motions with her own, and accepting all of him with each and every thrust.

"Oh yes, just like that".

"Ok baby".

A few minutes later, he laced his fingers through hers and completely filled her with his orgasm, causing her to have one of her own.

She held him and scratched his back for a few minutes while they both calmed down.

They were both completely exhausted and fell asleep holding each other.

***Couple hours later***

Jennifer rolled over in Jonathan's embrace and looked at the clock. It was 1:02.

She started kissing his chest. He held her a little tighter.

"Have a nice nap?"

"Mmmmhmmm".

They laid in bed a little while longer, and then got up.

She headed for the shower while he made himself a snack.

He jumped in the shower right behind her and then when they were both ready, they headed to his house.

They pulled up and parked out front.

It was basically just a pile of ashes. They started looking through everything but it was pretty clear from the beginning that nothing was going to be salvageable.

She walked over and started looking at her car. It was all burned to a crisp as well.

He came and found her.

"I'm sorry, darling".

"It's ok. I just wanted to see it for myself, that's all".

They drove back to her house and she made them lunch.

"Darling, do you think you could run to the store and get a paper?"

"Certainly. In fact, I'll call tomorrow and have my mail and paper subscription sent here, if that's ok".

"That's fine. I need today's paper though".

"I'll be right back".

He gave her a few kisses and then headed out.

When he got back, she was on the phone and writing down some numbers.

He handed her the paper and she immediately turned to the want ads.

She began perusing through the car ads and circled a few that she wanted to check out.

"Darling, why don't you drive the mustang?"

"No, I can't do that. Plus, I'm kind of in the mood for a change."

"What kind of change?"

"Well, all I've ever had are sports cars and hot rods. I'm thinking it might be time I have something different".

By the time she was finished, she had circled about 10 different cars.

"Darling, how much are tags, title, and license here?"

"Depends on the car, but the average is about $1200 more".

"Damn. Ok".

She crossed a few off her list.

The phone rang so she reached over and answered it.

"Hello? Sure, he's right here".

She handed it to him.

"Hello?"

Jennifer got up and went into the office to give him some privacy, and came back when she heard him hang up.

"Baby, that was my realtor. She has a few houses for me to look at tomorrow afternoon. I was thinking, we could go to dinner tonight if you want and maybe drive by a couple of them?"

"Sure. We can do whatever you want to. And I was thinking we should probably go shopping for you again, because yesterday, we forgot to get you dress shirts and ties".

"Yeah, that's a good point. Ok, why don't we go now?"

"Fine with me".

She quickly changed clothes and they headed out. They had a lovely afternoon where he quickly found a rental house he liked, she helped him find some dress shirts and ties, and they had a lovely dinner at a nice little steakhouse.

They stopped and got ice cream on the way home and then came inside.

She went and changed into a nightgown and then joined him on the couch.

She fed him bites of her strawberry sundae and he fed her bites of his chocolate peanut butter.

After they were finished, he leaned over and kissed her.

"You make me so happy".

"You make me happy too".

He gave her several kisses and then took their bowls to the sink.

They snuggled up and watched a movie and just loved on each other.

She scratched his back for him some and he gave her a backrub before they headed to bed.

They climbed in bed and watched the news for a bit. She snuggled back against him and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She reached up and turned out the light when the news was over and then settled back against him.

He tenderly made sweet love to her before they both fell asleep.

***Monday***

Jennifer woke up when Jonathan's alarm went off. She made them coffee and breakfast while he was getting ready.

He came out of the bedroom just in time.

"Morning".

"Morning". She leaned up to kiss him.

"I made breakfast. Omelet's and fresh coffee".

"You're the greatest".

He leaned down to kiss her again.

She sat and ate with him and then did the dishes while he got his stuff together.

"Darling, can you check this tie?"

"Certainly".

She got his tie all straight and then kissed him.

"I love you, have a good day".

"I love you more than anything else in the world, I'll call you in a few hours".

"Darling, call and check on Max, will you?"

"Yeah, I will".

He gave her another kiss and then headed out.

She went and showered and dressed and then got to work on an article.

Around 11, he called her.

"Hello?"

"Hey gorgeous."

"Hey, I'm glad you called. Can you give me the name of your home insurance agent? I need to make a claim on my car and I want to give them the contact info".

"Sure. The company is California Mutual and the agent's name is Mike Blackwell".

"Great, thank you".

"I called Max. He's doing just fine. I think he's met some ladies at the pool".

She chuckled.

"Well go, Max. How was your meeting this morning?"

"Good. And I planted a few bugs in order to see if our friend will take the bait. Nothing yet. I'm sure he will though, it's only a matter of time".

"Great job. Well, I better get back to work, I'll see you tonight sometime".

"You can come here if you want, and ride with me".

"I don't have a car, remember?"  
"Oh yeah. I'll pick you up at 5:45".

"Perfect. I love you".

"I love you too".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone.

She worked steadily till 4 and then stopped and got ready.

Jonathan arrived at 5:30.

"Darling?"

"In here".

He found her in the bathroom putting on the finishing touches.

"Hi beautiful".

"Hi handsome".

She leaned up and kissed him.

"Gosh you look so pretty".

"Well thank you".

"How long will it take you to get ready?"

"Not long. I figured we could go meet her at the first rental house, and then after I sign the papers, we can grab dinner somewhere".

"Great plan. That's what I was thinking too".

She kissed him a few more times and then headed to the kitchen to straighten up.

He was ready a few minutes later and they headed to the first rental house, the one he liked the most from the outside.

It was in a sweet little gated neighborhood named Canyon Grove Estates.

They walked in and Jonathan immediately fell in love with it. Max would have a bigger room than before, and so would he. Plus, there was a pool in the back and a very large newly updated kitchen, and a three-car garage.

"What do you think, darling?"  
"Well, I love it, but you will be the one living here. What do you think?"

"I love it too. You think Max will love it?"

"I do. And even if he doesn't, you are renting, darling, not buying".

"Great point".

He signed the papers and got the keys and then they headed to dinner.

In the car, he called Max.

"Max, hey it's me, Jonathan. I rented us a house. It's in Canyon Grove, on Gardenview Lane. 8877. Use the credit card I gave you to buy whatever you will need for your room. We can move in tomorrow. Save your receipts and my insurance company will reimburse us".

"Sure thing, Mr. H."

"Can't wait to have you back with us, Max. We miss you".

"I miss you guys too. I'll call you tomorrow".

"Sounds good, Max".

He hung up and reached for her hand and kissed it.

"Darling, did anything more come of the janitor that Deanne thinks burned your house down?"  
"Not today. I told you, I planted some bugs. I'm just waiting for them to reveal something. But, I did talk to my home insurance company and they are willing to cover any losses you had at the house as well, in addition to your car".

"That's sweet. I didn't have anything there, though".

"Did you have anything of value in the car?"

"Nope. Just the car itself".

He laced his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand.

"Why don't you let me buy you a car? It's kind of my fault that yours got burned up in the first place, darling. It's the least that I can do".

"Jonathan Charles, it is absolutely not your fault that your house was set on fire! And the fact that my car was there and got destroyed isn't your fault either. And you have to buy all new furniture for the house, honey. Plus all new clothes and everything. You won't have anything left if you buy me a car too. I can't ask you to do that, and I don't expect you to either".

"I know you don't. But I feel responsible, and I was thinking today-if I buy you a car, then you will have one a lot sooner than if you wait for the insurance check, darling. Plus, we can have it checked out, make sure it's safe, comes with a warranty, all that. I just want to know that you are safe, that's all".

"Oh, Jonathan. I appreciate that, I do. But don't you think that's rushing things? I mean, we haven't been together all that long. Just a couple months".

"Jennifer, we're living together."

"Yeah, because you needed somewhere to stay".

He had a hurt look on his face.

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded. What I meant was, I'm happy to share my nights with you, you know that. But if your house hadn't burned down, I think you and I both know that you wouldn't have just full on moved into my small apartment".

"I'm sure I wouldn't have, but that doesn't mean I don't love being there".

"And I'm not saying I don't love having you there. I'm just saying that we've only been together a couple of months, we aren't at the point yet where we should be financially supporting each other".

They arrived at the restaurant and parked.

They were taken to their table almost immediately.

He was quiet all through dinner, and she felt horrible, even though she had been honest.

After they had finished eating, he turned to her.

"Would you like to dance?"  
"Do you honestly want to?"

"Would I have asked you if I didn't?"

"Fine."

"No, no, don't do me any favors".

He paid the bill and they headed to the car.

Neither of them spoke a word the entire way back to her apartment.

They came inside and within seconds, she had put her purse down and headed to change.

She came out and got a glass of water and sat on the couch.

He went and changed clothes and then came back out and sat on the couch next to her.

They silently watched tv for a little bit, and then she got up and went to bed.

He waited till he knew she was asleep, and then went into the bedroom. He went to her side of the bed and leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, I love you".

He grabbed his pillow and went and slept on the couch.


	19. Chapter 19

***The next day***

Jennifer woke up when the alarm went off and got up to make coffee.

She came out and found Jonathan still on the couch.

She started the coffee and then put a bagel in the toaster.

He woke up and didn't say a word to her, and just headed to take a shower.

She waited till she heard the shower turn off and took him a cup of coffee.

She set it down on the bathroom counter and leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Morning".

She turned and grabbed a towel and then got in the shower herself.

When she got out, he was fully dressed.

She threw on some lounging clothes and then clipped her hair up.

He was in the kitchen waiting for her.

"I'll be home tonight around 5, and I should be out of your hair by 6".

"What do you mean, out of my hair? You have no furniture at the new house, Jonathan".

"I understand that. I have to go, I'll see you at 5".

"So that's it? We aren't going to talk or anything?"

"Jennifer, I have a meeting. I'll call you when it's over".

She nodded.

He left and she headed to the office. Best way for her to get through something was to distract herself from it.

Around 10:30, there was a knock at the door.

She got up and answered it.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Delivery for Jennifer Edwards".

"That's me".

"Sign here, please".

She handed him the clipboard and then he handed her the vase of flowers.

"Thank you".

The flowers were in a crystal vase and the bouquet was packed in there, tight. It was full of white rosebuds, pink daylilies, purple snapdragon, birds of paradise, and bright blue gladiolus that had barely opened. It was exquisite.

She dug for the card.

" _Please call me about the stock deal-I need a new quote. Jonathan"._

'Well, that doesn't make any sense'.

She left the flowers on the counter and then got back to work.

Before she knew it, it was almost 5.

She heard him come in.

"Jennifer?"

"In here".

He stuck his head in.

"Hi".

"Hello".

She got up and moved past him and headed to the kitchen.

She got herself some water and then set it down on the counter.

"I see you got my flowers".

"No, I don't think I did".

"What do you mean?"

She handed him the card.

"See for yourself".

He took it and read it and cracked up.

"This is because Deanne had a dentist appointment this morning, and I was covering the phones all by myself for a bit. I must have gotten the lines mixed up. This card was supposed to say I'm sorry, I love you, and I hope we can have a better evening tonight".

"I see".

"So can we talk about this now?"

"Talk about what? You got all upset because I declined to let you buy me a car when you don't even have a house, Jonathan. You just lost everything you own, you should be thinking about buying things for yourself, not me. Then you snapped at me at the restaurant over not wanting to dance with you, and then instead of talking, you slept on the couch when we got home and you left angry this morning. Where would you like to start?"

"I explained to you why I wanted to buy you a car. And yes, I did just lose everything I own, but I still want to take care of you. And I guess I did snap at you at the restaurant, but when someone asks someone to dance and the other person doesn't want to, it hurts. And I slept on the couch because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable".

"Do you realize why I didn't want to dance with you?"

"No".

"Because you barely acted like you like me after we argued about you buying me the car. I don't want pity, Jonathan. I want sincerity, and honesty. If you don't want to dance with me, then fine, don't ask me. But don't ask me out of pity".

"I swear, I didn't ask you out of pity. I would never do that".

She nodded.

"Are you still moving out?"

"Eventually. I ordered some furniture today, but it won't be delivered till the weekend. I still need to find a bed and living room furniture".

He stepped forward and lifted her onto the counter.

"For what it's worth, I love you, all my heart. You know that. And no, we haven't been together long, but I want to take care of you, I will always want to take care of you. And any time I ask you to do anything with me, it's a sincere invite, nothing else".

She nodded.

"I'm sorry baby, honest. I hate it when we fight".

"Me too. I'm sorry too".

She gave him a few kisses and then wrapped her arms around him.

"I fired the janitor today".

"You did?"

"Yeah, I caught him sneaking files out of Deanne's desk. I don't have proof that he set fire to my house though. Hopefully, he will trip up and get arrested and confess. Owen says he thinks they will drop the charges against Max for lack of evidence".

"I hope so. He doesn't deserve to be saddled with this".

"I was waiting for you to call me all day".

"I was waiting for you to call me all day too".

"So, I have a compromise if you are willing to hear it".

"I'm listening".

"What if I buy you a car, whatever car you want, and when your insurance check comes in, you give it to me to pay me back, and then we will call it even?"

"No, I don't like that. For one, I don't have the foggiest idea how much they are giving me. And if it doesn't cover it, I will still owe you. I would rather wait till they give me the check and then find a car in that price range".

"Ok, that's fair. So, let's say I buy an extra car. Would you be willing to drive it in the meantime?"

"I could probably be ok with that".

"What do you say I take you to dinner, and then we go to the car dealership and look around?"  
She nodded.

She gave him a couple kisses and then went to change clothes.

They headed to a lovely little seafood joint and then afterwards, he drove them to the dealership.

They looked around for about an hour, and in the end, he purchased a silver Mercedes convertible.

He let her drive it home and he followed her in the other one.

He parked right next to her.

"You like it?"  
"It's very nice".

"I'll get the tags tomorrow."

"Great".

They walked inside and got comfortable.

She was going through the mail while he was going through some business papers.

"Darling, do you have any plans for this weekend?"

"Not at the moment".

"Great, don't make any. I'm thinking of having everyone over on Sunday, for a new tradition. "Funday Sunday". Swimming, grilling out, the whole works. What do you think?"  
"Sounds fun".

They got ready for bed and climbed in and snuggled up.

Jennifer turned the tv on and found a show about senses and feelings.

She turned to Jonathan.

"What's your favorite of the 5 senses?"  
"I'm not sure. I enjoy all of them, really. Seeing you, and hearing your sweet little laugh, honestly, there's nothing better".

"You're so romantic".

"But touching you, and feeling you, that's heavenly".

She leaned forward and kissed him.

"And we can't forget smelling you-the perfume you wear, it's absolutely mesmerizing".

He leaned forward and captured her lips in a sweet, romantic, breathtaking kiss.

He broke the kiss a few minutes later.

"How about you, which is your favorite?"

"Feeling. I love not only feeling you at various times in various ways, but I also love the way you make me feel. You make me feel loved, and special, and protected, and beautiful and important".

He reached up and turned out the light before taking her into his arms and kissing her so passionately it took her breath away.

They spent the next few hours making love and then fell asleep in each other's arms.

***Sunday***

Jonathan was all moved into his rental house. He and Jennifer had gone and selected furniture for each room. She had helped him pick out a bed and a mattress, and accent pieces to go along with it. Saturday night was the first night he had spent in the rental house and not at Jennifer's.

She hopped in the Mercedes and drove to his house around 10:30. They were having an afternoon pool party and cookout with all his friends.

She had made a few dips and appetizers and she had even bought a new bathing suit for the whole experience.

She pulled up and parked and rang the doorbell.

He came and let her in.

"Hi gorgeous. You don't have to ring the bell, silly".

She leaned up to kiss him.

He took some of the platters from her hands and they walked to the kitchen.

She set the rest down and then turned and hugged him.

"I missed you last night".

"I missed you too".

He leaned down and kissed her for several minutes.

"Ok, that's it. I'm canceling the party, it's just going to be me and you today".

"Jonathan, you can't. I made all this food".

He chuckled at her.

"I was kidding. What did you make?"

"Well, this is homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes. And that is warm sausage rotel-it's to die for. And that is a cucumber dill dip with a fresh veggie plate, and these are rainbow fruit kebabs and those are mini quesadillas with fresh guacamole".

"You outdid yourself, darling."

"What did you make?"  
"Nothing yet. I bought steaks and burgers and all the toppings. Max is the best griller around. We also bought grilled chicken and have it marinating".

"Where is Max?"

"He ran to the store to get drinks and paper plates. He should be back any minute".

He helped her get the food table all set up and then she helped him get the toppings tray ready for the hamburgers.

Everyone started arriving around 40 minutes later, and getting in the pool.

Jennifer went upstairs to his bedroom to change into her suit.

She had purchased a bikini with a deep green ruffle bandeau top and black bottoms with a scalloped edge. It looked amazing on her.

She came downstairs and found him outside by the pool.

"Darling, can you do my back, please?"  
"Certainly".

He rubbed some sunscreen on her back and shoulders for a few minutes.

She returned the favor for him and then went into the kitchen.

Max was coming in the door.

"Here, let me help you".

"Hi Miss Edwards. Thanks"

After they got all the groceries in, Max headed to go start grilling. Jennifer joined Jonathan in the pool.

They played girls vs. guys volleyball, and had a couple lap swimming contests.

"Ok everyone, food is ready".

The ladies all sat in the screened in porch to eat, while the guys sat around outside.

The girls were grilling Jennifer about how serious she and Jonathan were.

"I think we are pretty serious. He's the first guy I've let myself get serious with in a long time".

They all got back in the pool for a little more swimming and then everyone went home around dinner time.

Pretty soon, it was just Jonathan, Jennifer and Max.

She helped Max clean up the kitchen while Jonathan cleaned up the pool.

He came back inside and joined them.

"Stay for dinner, baby?"

"Sure. We have tons of leftovers".

"I'm going to go change, want to come with me?"

"Sure, I want to change too".

She took his hand and he led her upstairs to his bedroom.

His shoulders were red so she rubbed some aloe on them for him.

He sat on the bed while she changed clothes.

"You sure know how to throw a fun party, darling".

"Yeah, it was fun, wasn't it?"  
"It was good to see Max interacting with everyone also".

"Yeah, I noticed that too."

They headed downstairs and made themselves some plates and snuggled up on the couch with a movie while they ate.

"So, my insurance company is going to clear the remains of the house. And instead of rebuilding, I think I'm going to sell the lot and buy elsewhere. I might build, too, if I can find the perfect location."

"Why not rebuild on your lot?"

"Well, I want to go bigger and that lot isn't big enough for what I want".

"How much bigger do you want?"

"Well, I want there to be a master bedroom downstairs for Max, and I want there to be a master bedroom upstairs for me and you. And I want there to be a couple more guest rooms, just in case. Plus, a pool in the backyard, and a large patio where I can hold you on the porch swing as we stare at the stars. And I want it set back from the road, some, for privacy. And you would have your office to work in, and I could have my media room again."

"What are your non-negotiables?"

"Set back from the road for privacy, downstairs bedroom for Max, and the pool and patio and office for you. What are yours?"

"Well, if I was buying a house, which I'm not, my must-haves would be a large soaking tub in my bathroom, large walk-in closets in the bedroom, and an eat-in kitchen, with lots of cabinet space. And I would want lots of windows so that natural light could come in".

"Those are great must-haves".

He gave her a backrub while they finished the movie and then he turned off the tv.

They took their plates to the kitchen and after she had rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher, he embraced her.

"Stay with me tonight".

"I can't. I didn't bring anything to sleep in".

"It's fine, darling. You can sleep in one of my shirts. Just stay so I can hold you tonight".

She nodded.

He picked her up and carried her upstairs, kissing her the whole way.

***Tuesday***

Jennifer was at home, working on the special project.

The phone rang, so she reached over to get it.

"Hello?"  
"Hey. Having a good day?"  
"Yeah, I am. You?"  
"It would be better if I could have lunch with you, say in about an hour?"  
"Perfect. Where would you like to go?"  
"How about L'Orangerie?"

"Great, I'll see you there".

She went and got ready and then headed out to meet him.

She was about 15 minutes from the place, when a black car came up behind her and was right on her tail.

'Geez, take it easy'.

She applied the brakes and he backed off a little, but then he came up and got right behind her again.

He pulled to the left of her and tried to force her off the road, stopping only because someone came in the opposite lane, forcing him to get behind her again.

She sped up a little and tried to get away from him.

He sped up and got right on her bumper once more.

He bumped her and then flashed his lights at her.

She refused to pull over since there wasn't a shoulder, so she drove on.

Jonathan was turning from a side street and saw her coming. He watched the guy barrel into her a second time as she pulled into the parking lot.

He put his car in reverse, but Jonathan pulled in behind him tight enough that he wasn't able to get out.

She parked and then got out and ran to him, visibly shaken.

"Are you alright?"

"He bumped the car twice, for no reason. He wanted me to pull over and I wouldn't".

Jonathan walked over to the car and opened the door, to find Jordan Markwell behind the wheel.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I don't have one."

"You hit my car, twice".

"At least I didn't burn your house down, this time".

He started laughing. Jonathan grabbed him by the collar and pulled him out of the car and punched him a couple times.

"Hey, I only burned your house down because the guy from Bartlett Electronics paid me to do it. It wasn't nothing personal".

"Nothing personal?!"

Just then, a police officer came up just in time to hear him say that.

"Well, we can discuss this down at the station, Mr. Blackwell".

He cuffed him, and then took him to his police car.

After taking Jennifer's statement and Jonathan's statement, Jonathan and Jennifer went inside and had a nice lunch.

There wasn't any damage to the Mercedes other than a couple scratches, so Jennifer was able to drive it home. Jonathan insisted on following her, just in case.

They came inside her apartment and he embraced her.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, honey. Honest. I'm also overjoyed that the charges will now be dropped against Max".

"Yeah, I am too".

"Let's take him to dinner tonight, to celebrate?"

"That's a great idea. He and I will pick you up at 7, wear your prettiest dressiest dress. I'll make the reservations".

He gave her several kisses.

"You know something?"

"What's that?"  
"I think I love you".

"Oh you think so? Well, I know so, that you are the only woman I'll ever love again for the rest of my life".

"I'm so glad".

He gave her a few more kisses and then left.

On the way, he called the D.A, Mark Perkins.

"Hello Mr. Perkins, this is Jonathan Hart. About 2 hours ago, Jordan Blackwell was arrested outside L'Orangerie. Just before he was arrested, he admitted to me in the presence of a police officer that he was the one responsible for burning down my house, not Max Brennan."

"I was just about to call you. All charges against Mr. Brennan have been dropped, Mr. Hart".

"Wonderful! If you don't mind, I'd like to be the one to tell him. He's kind of like my dad".

"I don't mind at all".

"Thank you".

Jonathan hung up and pulled into the parking lot of Hart Industries.

"Now, I just have to get us out of the Bartlett Electronics deal".


	20. Chapter 20

Jennifer was ready right on time. She had chosen a pink halter top and black skirt, and black heels.

Christmas was a week away, so she was hoping that Jonathan would give her some ideas of what he wanted for Christmas at dinner tonight.

He came in and found her in the kitchen.

"Hi. You are absolutely stunning".

"Why thank you".

She kissed him a few times.

"Ok, we better go, we are picking Max up in 20 minutes."

She handed him her keys and they headed out.

They picked up Max right on time, and then headed to his favorite restaurant, Champion's grill.

It was one of those places where you grilled the meat yourself, right there at the table.

Jonathan ordered a bottle of the finest champagne for the table.

"Mr. H., that's fancy stuff. You two celebrating something you didn't tell me about?"  
"We are celebrating you, Max. Jennifer was in a minor car accident today, and the guy who hit her confessed to setting the house on fire. He was arrested, and all charges against you have been dropped".

Max's face lit up.

"You mean it, Mr. H.?"

"We mean it. And we never believed that you did that".

"I can't believe it's all over".

"To Max".

"To Max!"

They all clinked glasses and then took a sip.

They ordered their dinner and then Jonathan turned to Jennifer.

"Want to dance?"

"Certainly".

"We'll be back, Max".

He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

As they danced, they chatted about Max.

"I think he's in shock".

"Yeah, I agree. I think if you hadn't toasted him, he would have cried".

"I'm just glad it's over".

"Darling, what do you want for Christmas?"

"What do you mean?"  
"I mean, what do you want for Christmas?"  
"Well, I don't really need anything. I have you, and Max, and a roof over my head, I'm good".

"Jonathan, there has to be something you want or need".

"I had a very extensive tie collection, and the projector in the media room that I had, I had just purchased it from TV Corner on Wilshire. I really miss those things, but I'll get them back".

He kissed her a few times.

"What do you want for Christmas?"

"Time with you, uninterrupted. And I've been thinking of getting a jewelry armoire for my room, so if I get that, I'll need you to help me put it together".

They finished their dance and went back to the table. Their food had arrived and Max was grilling it for them.

"Max, this dinner is for you, you shouldn't be grilling".

"Yeah, she's right Max. Let me have that".

Jonathan took over the grilling while Jennifer ate her salad and drank her champagne.

They had a nice dinner and then after paying the check, they took Max home.

Jonathan turned to Jennifer.

"Want to stay with us tonight? We can take a midnight swim if you want".

"Sure. How about you drop me off and I'll change clothes and pack a bag and come over".

"Sounds wonderful".

They drove to her house and he waited while she changed clothes.

She packed a bag lightning fast, and they headed back to his house.

"I'll follow you. Park in the garage, baby".

He kissed her and then got in the car.

She pulled up in the garage just like he had instructed and he parked right next to her.

They went inside and he took her bag upstairs and then came back down and joined her on the couch.

"What do you want to do first, darling?"

"Well, we still half a bottle of champagne leftover from dinner. We can drink some of that while we watch a movie or we can take it out to the pool with us".

"Oh I vote for the pool".

"Pool it is".

"I'll go get on my suit".

She put on a shimmery purple string bikini and some black flip flops and came back downstairs. He was outside turning on the pool lights and the patio lights.

"You get the champagne, I'll go change and get us towels".

"It's a deal".

He kissed her and then headed upstairs.

He was back a few minutes later and they both got in the pool.

"Water feels great".

"Yeah, it does".

"Our first official date, we came back to my house and swam some".

"No, it technically wasn't a date. But the first time we swam together was because you picked me up and then jumped in the pool".

"Oh yeah, that was fun".

"And we had our first kiss in the pool that night too".

"That was my favorite part".

She wrapped her arms around him and he picked her up and carried her to the ledge in the deep end.

He leaned up against the pool wall and she leaned back against his chest.

"Baby, this Thursday, what do you say you and me take a trip somewhere?"

"So close to Christmas?"

"Well, I was thinking we could go for Christmas, darling".

"Where do you want to go?"

"Somewhere warm and tropical. Just you and me, at a resort somewhere.

"Really?"

"Really. We deserve some uninterrupted time, like you mentioned. And after the fire and all this house and insurance stuff, I just want to get away and relax".

"How long do you want to be gone?"

"I was thinking Thursday to Monday".

"Perfect".

He kissed her neck and then just held her some.

"So are we doing Christmas between the two of us at the resort or do you want to do it here before we go?"  
"What if we did both? We could do some presents here and then some at the resort. There's nothing like the magic of Christmas morning".

"I like that idea".

"You weren't planning on going to your father's for Christmas were you?"  
"Oh please. I haven't spent Christmas with him in 8 years and I'm damned sure not going to start now".

"Ok, just checking".

"Darling, Christmas with my dad is no Hallmark greeting card. He is very stubborn and old fashioned. No drinking in the house, no rowdy card games, no movies with cussing or even the slightest hint of nudity. Usually when I'm at his house, I stay in my room a lot and just read at night, because reading is the only thing I can do that he won't criticize".

"I see".

"You have no idea how good you have it with Max".

"Did I ever tell you about the first time Max caught me watching an adult movie?"  
"No".

"I don't mean anything indecent. I mean, a movie with a naked girl in it. The movie was _'It was him, yes! Yes!',_ with Sophia Loren. She wasn't naked per se, but she was topless. So, a few buddies of mine from school came over one night when Max was at a poker game. This was just after I had turned 18 and had moved out of the orphanage and in with him. I had only been there about a week or two, tops. And he came in and found us watching it and didn't say anything. He let us finish the movie, and then everyone went home. I just knew he was going to pack me up and take me back to the orphanage. So, I got tired of waiting and bit the bullet and went to him. 'How much trouble am I in?', I ask him. 'For what?', he says. And instead of yelling at me, we actually talked like two individuals. It was the first time I felt like someone really listened to me. And I'll never forget what he told me. 'Kid', he says, 'if there's one thing you gotta learn in life, it's about women. You gotta learn to respect them. Watching a movie with a naked lady isn't that big of a deal unless you make it one. And the more you respect a lady on the screen, the more you will respect her in person'. He is the one that taught me to send flowers to a lady, and to bring them with me when I pick her up for our first date, to protect her when I'm with her, and to always put her first. I would have done most of those anyways, but the point is, he showed me that the little things that people don't think mean a whole lot sometimes mean the most".

"He's right. It's the little things that add up to the big things".

They sat in the pool a little longer and then got out and went inside.

He grabbed the bottle of champagne and their glasses and took it upstairs with them.

They passed Max on their way.

"Headed to a poker game, Mr. H. I'll see you in the morning".

"Night Max".

"Night Max".

He took Jennifer's hand and they headed upstairs.

"Darling, do you mind if I take a quick shower? I don't want to go to sleep with my hair like this".

"Not at all".

"Be right out".

He got the bed ready while she showered and then went and took a quick one himself in the guest room bathroom.

She got out and put on a short dark blue spaghetti strap nightgown with black lace edges. It was low-cut and very sexy and very form fitting.

He came into the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and wrapped his arms around her waist.

He kissed her on the cheek a few times.

"Bring that nightgown on our trip".

"You got it".

She quickly blew her hair dry and then went and joined him in bed.

"Champagne?"

"Please".

She held the glass while he poured it and then they clinked glasses.

"Cheers".

"Cheers".

"Like the mattress?"

"Oh my gosh, yes. It's the most comfortable mattress I think I've ever been on".

"Yeah, I went for comfort this time, all the way".

He had the tv on the news. She snuggled up against him and he wrapped his arm around her.

After the news was over, he turned the tv off and then reached over and put his champagne glass down.

She put hers on her bedside table.

He reached up and turned the light off and she snuggled down on his chest.

"I love you".

"Oh yeah? Show me how much".

He rolled over and made mad, passionate love to her till the wee hours. They finally fell asleep around 3, holding each other.

***Thursday***

Jennifer was at her apartment, running around like crazy. She had bought Jonathan's Christmas presents and had stayed up late wrapping them. Now, she was packing her suitcase. She had packed swimsuits and lingerie and a few dresses. She was deciding which shorts and tank tops to take when she heard him come in.

"Darling?"  
"In here".

He came in the bedroom.

"Hi".

"Hi".

She came to him and kissed him.

"I'm almost all packed. You never told me where we are going though".

"It's a surprise".

"Warm weather?"  
"Yes".

"Good".

She quickly finished packing her clothes and then added a few more items.

"Darling, are we flying your plane or commercial?"

"My plane".

"Wonderful, then I won't have to pack clothes in my carry on".

She packed one duffle bag with his presents in it, and one with just shoes and cosmetics.

"You ready?"

"Ready".

He took her suitcases to the door and then waited for her.

"Ok baby, you get to open your big gift before we leave."

"You get to open a gift before we leave too".

"You go first".

He opened the one she had for him on the table. As soon as he got the wrapping paper off, his jaw fell open.

"How did you know?"

"Well, the other night, you mentioned that you went to TV Corner. So I took a little drive there, and spoke with the owner. Turns out you had a warranty on the old one, so while I didn't pay for this one, I did pay for the installation at the new house, plus surround sound".

"This is incredible. Thank you, darling".

He leaned over and kissed her.

"Ok your turn".

He handed her a small wrapped box. She carefully unwrapped it to find a picture.

"You got me a picture?"  
"No. I am getting you what is in the picture. I'm buying you all new living room furniture, darling. When we get home, you get to go pick it out".

"Oh honey, I love this". She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you".

A few kisses later, they were headed to the airport.

They boarded the plane and got settled.

"Ok Jack, we can tell her where we are going now".

"We will be landing in Barbados in about 12 hours."

"Barbados?"

He nodded.

She kissed him.

"You will always be my favorite cabana boy".

They cuddled up together for takeoff.

Around 10, they headed to bed for the night.

They got the room super dark and turned on a fan and fell asleep pretty quickly.

Around 5 a.m., Jack called them on the phone.

"We are about to land in 30 minutes".

"Thank you".

They got up and headed to the cabin so they could buckle up.

She promptly leaned her head on his shoulder and went back to sleep.

He wrapped an arm around her and leaned their seat back a little.

After they landed, they got up and got their things together and then deboarded the plane.

There was a taxi waiting to take them to their hotel.

"Where are we staying, darling?"  
"A place called Sugar Bay resort".

"Sounds wonderful".

They got all checked in and headed to their ocean view room.

It was absolutely gorgeous-a king size bed with a large bathroom and patio.

Jonathan ordered them room service while Jennifer took a shower.

He took one right behind her and then they curled up on the bed and waited for their breakfast.

"What do you say after breakfast, we put on our suits and hit the beach?"

"I say yes, please".

She leaned over and kissed him.

A few minutes later, their room service arrived.

He poured them each a mimosa and put a strawberry in hers just for fun.

After they were done eating, they got ready and headed down to the beach. They found a cabana and got all set up.

They spent a few hours laying out and then called it a day.

"How about a special dinner tonight?"

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, they have this restaurant here that is known for its Asian cuisine, and the chef is world-known. And they have a burger joint here with live music that goes all night".

"The burger joint sounds kind of fun".

"Burger joint it is".

As she put her coverup back on, she turned to face him.

"We just have to make sure we have time for romance".

***Two days later***

Jonathan woke up first and quietly ordered them some room service breakfast.

He managed to get the door open and the cart inside without her waking up.

He got it in place, and then climbed back in bed and wrapped his arms around her.

He started kissing her cheek.

"Merry Christmas, baby".

She slowly woke up and rolled over to him.

"Merry Christmas".

A few kisses later, they sat up and shared breakfast in bed.

"I ordered us the cinnamon roll waffles, and fruit plate".

"Yum. I'm starved".

"So what do you want to do today?"  
"Well, I was thinking, we could open some presents, and then maybe do some exploring and sightseeing, and then a romantic dinner".

"I like the way you think, Mr. H."

"Oh you do? I'm so glad".

He gave her several passionate kisses.

They finished their breakfast and then she got up and got the rest of his presents.

"Ok you go first".

He opened the first box to find a very impressive tie collection, in all of his favorite colors.

"Great job, baby. I love these, thank you".

"You're welcome".

"Your turn".

He handed her a small wrapped box.

She lifted the lid to find a gorgeous gold and ruby bracelet.

"Oh Jonathan, it's absolutely beautiful!"

He helped her put it on and she spent a few minutes just staring at.

"I love it, darling. Thank you".

She leaned over and kissed him a few times.

They finished exchanging the rest of their gifts and then got up and got ready.

She came out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her.

"Change of plans, baby. You have a surprise waiting."

"What kind of surprise?"

"Put on some comfortable clothes. All will be revealed soon".

He kissed her cheek and then headed for the shower.

When he came out, she was ready.

He quickly got dressed and then they left.

They walked through the lobby and ended up at the spa.

"I get a spa treatment?"

"You get all the spa treatments, darling. Massage, facial, pedicure, manicure, steam bath".

"What are you going to do?"  
"Hang out in the room, or sit by the pool".

She grabbed his hand.

"Do this with me, come on. It'll be so romantic".

"Well, we are getting massages together. But the rest is all you".

They walked into the spa and got their robes, and were immediately taken to a couples' massage room.

After the most relaxing deep tissue massage that either of them had ever experienced, they were taken back to the tranquil room.

"I love you, I'll see you later".

He gave her several kisses.

"I love you too".

Jennifer was taken a few minutes later for a deluxe facial, and then a steam bath, and finally a pedicure and manicure.

It was almost 5 p.m. by the time she was finished.

After she was finished, the attendant handed her a package.

"Mr. Hart says go to your room, put this on, and follow the instructions on the bed".

She carried the package up to their room and opened it.

It was a gorgeous black, blue and green paisley cold shoulder dress. She found the card on the bed and opened it.

"We are having a romantic dinner down on the beach at Gazebo #7. See you there".

She hurried and got ready, making sure her hair and makeup were absolutely flawless.

When she was ready, she headed down to the lobby and out to the beach entrance, stopping only to remove her shoes.

She found him at Gazebo 7, just like he said he would be.

"Hi".

"Hi, you sure do look pretty".

"All because of you".

She leaned up and kissed him.

"How was your spa day?"

"Wonderful. I don't think my skin has ever felt so soft".

"So, our private chef is getting everything set up".

"Wonderful".

"Mr. Hart, I will need about 30 minutes".

"Perfect, Jorge. We are going to take a walk on the beach and we'll come back".

They walked up the beach a little ways and found a couple benches to sit on.

The sun was just about to set.

He picked up a stick and wrote their initials in the sand, JE+JH.

"Aww, I love that".

She gave him a sweet kiss.

"Darling, think back to when you were a kid. Remember how all you wanted was a best friend?"

"Oh yes. And losing your best friend was the worst".

"Yeah, it was. Because best friends are supposed to be forever, not temporary".

"Forever is a long time".

"Yeah, it is, and sometimes, the first go-round, your best friend doesn't stay for forever, but hopefully, you learn from that experience and you find a new best friend and this time around, you know how to make it last forever".

"Yeah, that's the hope".

They watched the dolphins for a little bit.

"Darling, did you know that dolphins always travel in packs? They are never without their best friend".

"I love that".

They got up and she laced her fingers through his. They started to walk back but Jonathan stopped.

Jennifer turned to see what he was doing and found him on one knee.

"I knew ever since I met you that we had something special-well, once I let myself admit it, at least. I just had to give myself permission to feel what I was feeling. And you've taught me so much, but the main thing you taught me is that I don't want to live without you."

He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it.

"Jennifer Suzanne, will you be my forever best friend and marry me?"


	21. Chapter 21

She teared up and quickly wiped her tears away.

"You want to marry me?"

He stood up.

"I want to marry you, spend the rest of my life with you, share every single day with you, never go to bed without you, all of it. You are what makes me happier than I ever thought possible, and I want to make you as happy as I possibly can. So, what do you say, baby? Will you marry me?"

She nodded.

"Yes, yes, I will".

He slipped the ring on her finger and then kissed her and picked her up and spun her around.

She caught a glimpse of her ring. It was a French-set pave diamond band with a radiant cut 3 carat diamond. It was simply mesmerizing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for several minutes.

They walked back to their gazebo.

"Perfect timing, Mr. Hart. Everything is ready".

"Bottle of your best champagne, Jorge. 2 glasses. She said yes".

"Right away, sir".

Jorge had grilled them steaks and various types of seafood and veggies.

Jorge came and popped the bottle of champagne for them, and poured them two glasses.

"To my gorgeous fiancee".

"To my handsome fiance, the most wonderful man in the whole wide world".

They clinked glasses and then he leaned over and kissed her, and then they took a few sips.

"Darling, when did you do all this?"

"Well, I bought the ring a few days ago in LA. And while you were at the spa, I went and bought you the dress so that you would have a special outfit and I made all the arrangements for this dinner while you were at the spa".

She leaned over and kissed him.

"So you knew you wanted to propose to me here?"

"Not at first. I've been carrying the ring with me everywhere since I bought it. Losing all your possessions tends to make someone do that. I wanted our proposal to be special, and I wanted it to be memorable, so I needed to think on it. I decided on the plane ride here that I would do it on Christmas day, so we would always remember the day we got engaged".

After a very romantic dinner, they walked hand in hand back to their room.

As they came into the lobby, the staff all cheered for them.

They came and presented her with flowers, and they handed him a few gift certificates.

"Congratulations!".

"Thank you".

They walked to the elevator and headed up to their room.

"Darling, do you want to sit on the patio?"

"Sure".

She kicked her shoes off and they went outside and sat on the patio together.

"Max is going to be so happy you said yes".

"How should we tell him?"

"I'm not sure. He's not too hard to talk to, though. He'll love however we tell him".

"How soon do you want to get married?"

"As soon as you do".

"What kind of wedding do you want?"

"You know I used to say I wanted a huge wedding, with all my friends from high school, and my family. But now, I think I just want a small wedding. No attendants, just you and me and the person who marries us, at the altar and Max, and my aunts and maybe a few close friends in attendance".

"We cannot get married without the dinner party crowd in attendance. They would have us killed".

She chuckled.

"And I suppose we should invite people from your office, that you see every day".

"Yeah, we should".

"So, we could do a wedding where it's just us at the altar, and then a big party. Or we could do a private wedding ceremony, and then a big party after".

"We don't have to figure it out right now, we have all the time in the world".

"Darling, when did you decide you wanted to marry me?"

"It was last week, at L'Orangerie. You had just been rear-ended a few times by Jordan, and all during lunch, you were more concerned about Max and whether or not they were going to drop the charges. And it hit me-you and Pam are the only women I've ever had in my life that didn't view Max as a personal slave. I've brought women home before that ordered him around, and it infuriated me. And here's the thing-there's a little clue about Max that tells me if he likes the woman I brought home".

"Oh, what is that?"

"Well, he's picky. He doesn't like people to fuss over him. And you and Pam are the only ones he's ever let help him in the kitchen".

"Darling, Max is one of the kindest, genuine, caring persons I've ever met. I know he's not your real daddy, but I can tell those qualities in him rubbed off on you".

They stayed out on the patio a little while longer and then went inside.

"What time are we leaving tomorrow?"

"Well, I was checking the weather. It's supposed to be pretty sunny. So, maybe we can leave after lunch, and spend the morning at the pool?"

"Wonderful".

He walked over to the phone to call Jack.

They spoke for a few moments and then he hung up.

"Change of plans. Jack says we won't be able to leave till 5, because he'll have to fill the plane up."

"So, we get another a whole day here? Wonderful".

She threw her arms around him and kissed him.

"Where do you want to go on a honeymoon?"

"I'm up for anywhere, darling".

They got ready for bed and climbed in bed together.

"Darling, I've been meaning to ask you, where do we stand on the secret project?"

"Almost done, actually. Just needs a few finishing touches and then some proofreading and it should be ready".

"Wonderful, I can't wait to see it".

"So, we need to finish the secret project, find a house to live in, plan the wedding, get married, have a honeymoon, move out of our respective homes into the one we purchase…anything else?"

He chuckled.

"Just this".

He engulfed her lips with his and wrapped his arms around her.

She quickly straddled him and locked her legs in place on either side of his.

He took her nightgown off over her head and watched as her perky round breasts sprang to life.

He rolled them so she was on her back and settled on top of her.

He pushed a stray curl out of her face and kissed her.

He kissed his way down to her nipples and sucked and nibbled on them for a minute.

"Mmmm".

He heard her breath hitch and felt a sense of pleasure that he was doing that to her.

He kissed his way back up to her lips, stopping only to suck on her neck for a minute.

She drew her legs up and ran her heels up and down the back of his legs.

He laced both of his hands through both of hers and held them over her head.

In one swift, forceful motion, he entered her and found her sweet heat. With each powerful thrust, he made her see stars and cry out his name.

They finished together and held each other. It was the most explosive, intense, exhilarating sex that either of them had ever had.

"I love you".

"I love you too".

They laid there, kissing and cuddling for about an hour.

Suddenly, Jonathan sat up.

"Oh shit".

"What?"

"Don't get mad".

"I won't. What is it?"

"Promise".

"Jonathan, you're scaring me. What is it?"

"I forgot to protect us…."

She leaned up and kissed him.

"It's ok. I have an implant. I'm clean, you're clean, it's ok".

He breathed a sigh of relief and she kissed him lightly.

"Darling, do you want kids?"

"With you, absolutely. But at the moment, we don't have a home together, and we've only been engaged a few hours. It's low on the list".

"Good, it's low on the list for me too".

She scratched his back and held him for a few moments.

"Darling, can we make an agreement?"

"What's that?"

"That our married sex will always be like that".

"Yeah, that was pretty good. You make me feel things that no one else ever has".

"I think it's because we have passion, darling. We love each other, but we are passionate about each other too".

"I agree".

They chatted till they fell asleep, their arms and legs all twisted together.

***Sunday***

They spent the day by the pool. Jennifer laid in the wading deck for most of the day. They were very fortunate that they basically had the pool to themselves. The resort was almost like a ghost town.

Jennifer got really sunburned and was a deep red when they went in, especially on her chest.

They quickly showered and changed and packed up their things.

Jonathan called the front desk and asked them to call a taxi for them to go to the airport.

About a half an hour later, they were downstairs checking out.

"Darling, the gift certificates".

"Oh yeah. Guess we better use those".

They headed to the shops in the lobby and spent the gift certificates that they had been given by the hotel. Jennifer picked out a really nice picture frame and a Christmas ornament with Barbados and the date on it.

Jonathan picked out a shirt and a couple of high-ball glasses and shot glasses.

They used the rest of the credit to place to-go orders at the restaurant.

An hour later, they were settled on their plane.

Jennifer was coating her chest in aloe.

Jack came on board a few minutes later.

"Hi you two. Have a nice trip?"

"Yes, we did".

"Jack, we will need you in a couple of months. What's the max number of hours you can fly us?"  
"24, if it's just me, 36 if I have a partner".

"Oh, our honeymoon won't have that long of a flight in it, I'm sure".

"Honeymoon? You mean you two are getting married?"

"Yes, she said yes".

Jennifer held up her hand to show him the ring.

"Well congratulations, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy".

Jack came over and shook Jonathan's hand and leaned down and kissed Jennifer on the cheek.

He headed to the cockpit and Jonathan went and got them plates and silverware.

After they took off, they ate their meals and chatted about the week ahead.

They ended up going to bed around 11 and slept all night.

They landed back in Los Angeles around 6 a.m.

Jonathan drove them to Jennifer's house and brought her bags in.

"Want to stay, darling?"

"Absolutely".

They quickly changed into their pajamas and then climbed into bed.

He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his chest and within minutes, they were back asleep.

They slept all day, and then headed to Jonathan's house later that night.

***A few days later***

Jennifer had basically stayed at Jonathan's house since they got back. Neither of them wanted to sleep without the other.

Jonathan woke her up when he was leaving for the office.

"I love you, stay as long as you want. Max will be home sometime today".

"I love you too".

She kissed him goodbye and then he left and she went back to sleep.

She finally got up around 9 and got dressed.

She decided to head downstairs and grab a bagel and then head to her house to work.

She was coming down the stairs just as Max was coming in the garage door.

"Hi Miss Edwards".

"Hi Max".

She discreetly turned her ring around.

"Mr. H. here?"

"No, he's at the office. Did you have a nice trip?"  
"Yeah, Canada is lovely this time of year".

"Well, I'm heading to my house, I'll see you later".

She kissed his cheek and then headed to the garage.

As soon as she got home, she ran inside and called Jonathan.

"Hello?"

"Hi darling. Listen, I have to tell you something. I almost called you from the house, but I didn't want Max to hear me and I don't have a car phone, so I had to wait till I got to my house".

"What is it?"  
"Well, I was at your house and I was coming downstairs, and as I did, Max came in and caught me".

"Oh, that's ok. He loves you".

"Yeah, and I love him too. But I still feel like I did the walk of shame, darling".

He chuckled.

"You didn't, believe me. Max is cool, he doesn't get ruffled by things like that. I'm sure he was just glad to see you".

"I hope so".

"Darling, you won't mind if he lives with us, will you?"

"Mind? Jonathan, I insist on it. I love Max, you know that".

"Good, I hope he agrees to live with us".

"Me too".

"I'll be home around 6 tonight, so come over whenever you want to".

"Wonderful. I love you".

"I love you, too".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone.

Her editor called a few minutes later to check in.

"I have an amazing opportunity for you- I just need to know if you are interested".

Jennifer listened to the details.

"I'm definitely interested, but let me talk to Jonathan first, ok?"

"That's fine. Just call me and let me know what he says".

"Ok, will do".

She worked steadily till 5, and then got ready to go to Jonathan's.

He called around 5:30.

"Can I come pick you up? I want to take you somewhere".

"Certainly".

He arrived about 15 minutes later and came in.

"Hi darling".

She came and kissed him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hi".

"Jonathan, sit down. We need to talk".


	22. Chapter 22

They sat down on the couch and she took his hands in hers.

"I talked to Marcia today. And she has this amazing opportunity for me, well, really, for us".

She explained it all to him and he was on board.

"Ok wonderful, I'm going to call Marcia and tell her to go ahead with it".

She grabbed the phone and called Marcia and left a message telling her she was accepting the opportunity.

Afterwards, she hung up and turned to him.

"Where are you taking me?"  
"It's a surprise".

They got in the car and he held her hand as they drove.

Almost an hour later, they pulled up to a little white house with lots of flowers out front.

They got out and walked up to the door.

He rang the doorbell and they waited.

She wrapped her arm around his.

The door opened and this big, burly man was on the other side.

His stern face slowly spread into a soft grin.

"Jonathan! Great to see you! Come on in here".

"Great to see you too".

They walked in and sat down.

A few minutes later, a short elderly lady came into the room.

"Hi there, son".

"Hi Ms. Alice, how are you?"

"I'm just great. And who do have here?"

"This is Jennifer Edwards. Jennifer, this is Mr. and Mrs. Chandler".

"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you".

Alice sat down across from them.

"So what brings you by?"

"Well, there's a couple things. One is, I decided to tell Pam's story. Jennifer here is a writer, and I asked her to write it. She agreed, and it's almost finished. And today, she told me that her editor has agreed to publish it in some magazines."

"Wonderful. Thank you for doing that".

"And the other thing is, I wanted to tell you in person, myself, that Jennifer and I are engaged. I will always love Pam, this doesn't change that. But I feel certain that Pam sent Jennifer to me, or me to Jennifer, whichever way you look at it. I think she would be happy for us, and I hope that you guys are too".

"Of course we are. Pam was a special person, you know that. Son, she was so special they needed her in heaven, and that's all there is to it".

"I hope that your moving on from Pam with Jennifer means that you have forgiven yourself for what happened?"

"Some days are better than others. Jennifer has helped a lot with that. I have my moments still, but I'm 95% there".

"Good. She wouldn't blame you, we don't blame you, and you shouldn't blame you either".

"I tell him that too".

They visited for about an hour and then Jonathan and Jennifer left.

"Well, we better go. Thanks for seeing us, and we will be in touch when the project is published".

Alice hugged him for a long time.

She turned to Jennifer.

"Thank you for taking care of him like my sweet Pam would have".

"My pleasure".

They got back in the car and headed back to Los Angeles.

He laced his fingers through hers.

She turned to him and touched his forearm.

"Are you ok?"  
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted them to hear it from us, before they heard it in the press. And I wanted to tell them about the project".

"That was the right thing, I'm glad we did that".

They made it back to Los Angeles and drove to her apartment so she could pack a bag.

"Darling, why don't you go pick us up some dinner? I'll pack a bag and come over and meet you there".

"Great idea".

She kissed him and then headed inside.

They met up at his house about an hour later, and she was overjoyed that he had gotten them La Scala.

After they ate, he cornered her in the kitchen.

"Darling, let's tell Max."

"Ok, but I want to do it in a cute way. Follow my lead".

He nodded and followed her into the living room.

"Max, do you notice anything different about me?"

"Did you cut your hair?"

She shook her head.

"Did you lose a few pounds? Not that you needed to, you're as skinny as a windshield wiper".

She chuckled. "Nope".

"Max, more like she added something."

"Added something? Oh, Miss Edwards, you didn't go get yourself a tattoo did you?"

"No, no tattoos".

"I give up".

"This".

She held up her hand to show him the ring.

"You mean he asked you? And you said yes?"

"That's what it means".

"Well, welcome to the family, Miss Edwards. I'm so glad it's you".

Jonathan embraced Jennifer.

"When's the big day?"  
"Haven't set a date yet, Max."

"When did he ask you?"

"Christmas day in Barbados".

"Well, that's wonderful".

"Thanks Max".

They sat and watched TV with him, and then headed up to bed.

"Darling, tomorrow, when I leave for the office, I'm going to take your car. You take mine".

"Ok. Why?"

"Well, your car needs an oil change. And mine just had one. So, I'll have one of the guys at the office take it and then bring it back so you don't have to worry about it".

"Alright".

He made love to her a few times, and then they fell asleep, exchanging some 'I love you's" before they did so.

***The next day***

Jennifer was at her apartment, typing the final page on the finished project.

The phone rang and she reached over and grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Jennifer, hi. It's Marcia. Can you send me what you have on the project we talked about yesterday asap?"

"Certainly. I just finished it and I've proofed it a few times, but it could probably use a fresh set of eyes".

"Absolutely. Send it to me and I'll proof it and then let you know if what I'm thinking is going to work".

"Ok, I'll print it and send it right away".

She had just printed it when Jonathan arrived.

"Hi baby".

"Hi". She leaned up to kiss him.

"I made us reservations at Oceanside".

"Wonderful. Can we run by Fedex on the way-Marcia needs me to send her this?"

"Absolutely".

She got it all bundled together and then they headed out.

"Let's go in your car, baby".

"Ok".

As soon as they got in, she noticed it.

"Jonathan!"

"Now you have a car phone in case you need me or have an emergency".

"I love you".

She leaned over and kissed him.

She stayed with him that night and gave him a nice backrub when they climbed into bed.

"So, I called my realtor today. She has a few houses for us to check out this weekend".

"Great".

"Do you want to pick it out with me, or do you want me to pick it out?"

"Why wouldn't I want to pick it out with you?"

"Well, you let me pick out the Mercedes, so I just assumed-"

"Jonathan Charles! You bought the Mercedes, not me. Therefore, my opinion of it didn't matter. But if we are going to share a life together and I'm going to live in the same home with you, then yes, I want to a say. I deserve a say".

He turned around and kissed her.

"I'm not saying you don't have a say or that you don't deserve a say. I was asking if you wanted a say".

"Yes, I do".

"And darling, in case I never told you before, your opinions will always matter to me, regardless of the topic".

"Thank you. Yours are important to me too".

She leaned forward and kissed him.

They chatted about what kind of house they wanted, and then switched places so he could give her a backrub.

He rubbed some aloe on her back for her and then some of her lotion.

"Ahhh….that feels good".

After he got her all lotioned up, she snuggled back onto his chest.

They chatted about the wedding and what type of ceremony they wanted and before he knew it, she was fast asleep.

He kissed her goodnight and just wrapped his arms around her and held her all night long.

"Goodnight, I love you".

***A week later***

Jennifer and Jonathan woke up at the same time. He was getting ready for the office, and she was getting ready for a meeting with her editor.

She had basically moved all her clothes into his house, and was practically living there as it was.

They had a nice breakfast together and then he walked her to the car.

"I love you, I'll call you when it's over".

"I love you too. Have a good meeting".

He gave her several kisses and then opened the door for her.

He headed to the office, and she headed to Calypso Beach to meet Marcia.

***Hart Industries***

Jonathan was at his desk, around 11 when Deanne buzzed him.

"Mr. Hart, you have a visitor".

He looked up and saw Jennifer coming through the door.

"Hi".

"Hi gorgeous."

He came to her and hugged her and kissed her.

"How was your meeting?"  
"That's what I came to talk to you about. Let's sit down".

They sat down on the couch.

"Darling, when Marcia hired me, I gave her several samples of my work. One of them was an unfinished piece-it was the beginnings of a romance novel. So, she encouraged me to finish it, and I turned it into her right before Christmas. Darling, she wants to publish it and she wants to send me on a book tour."

"What kind of book tour?"  
"Multiple cities, multiple states. Fly in, do a book signing, fly out the next day."

"How many dates are we talking?"

"It will start in a week, and it's not supposed to end for 4 months".

"What did you tell her?"  
"I told her yes. I mean, this will be huge for my career, and yes, we just got engaged, but we aren't having kids right now, so it's not like I would be leaving a lot of responsibility for anyone. Plus, this might be the only shot I get at this".

"If this is what you want to do, I'll support you, darling. I might even be able to fly out and see you in some of the cities".

"You mean it? Oh, I'm so excited. I honestly thought you were going to be upset".

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"How about lunch today?"

"I wish I could. But I can't. I have to go work on the extra pages of the book plus the book club questions at the back. And a photographer is coming to the house tonight at 6 to take my photo for the back cover. I told Marcia to have him come to your house instead of my apartment, since the lighting is better".

"I should be home by 5:30".

"Perfect. I'll see you then. I love you".

"I love you too".

She kissed him and then headed to her apartment.

On a whim, she packed up her laptop and several nice outfits and headed to Jonathan's.

Marcia arrived around 5.

They looked over the extra pages she had so far and made some changes.

She helped her pick out the best outfit for the photos.

Jennifer ended up choosing a strapless purple top and some black pants.

Jonathan got home at 5:30, and found her in the sun room.

"Hi baby".

"Hi darling".

She leaned up and kissed him.

The photographer arrived right on time and took a few shots of the two of them together and then about 50 of just Jennifer.

He had set up a video screen so that Marcia could see them as soon as they were taken.

They chose a casual pose of her sitting on the sofa looking off into the distance.

Everything wrapped up around 8, and she and Jonathan were finally alone.

She went and found him in the living room.

"Want to order dinner with me?"

"Sure, what do you want?"

"Just a grilled chicken salad from wherever with an olive oil dressing".

She went upstairs and put on her pajamas and then came back down and found him.

"Dinner should be here soon, darling."

"Wonderful".

"So, you never told me what your first stop is?"

"Oh, she gave me an itinerary so far. First stop is Miami, then Orlando. Basically, we are going up the east coast, then the Midwest, then the southern states, the northern states, and then the last leg will be New England. I told her I could do the West Coast after we got back home".

"Sounds busy".

"Yeah, no sightseeing. Just fly in, do a book signing, some press, fly out to the next place and start all over".

"Who's going to be with you?"

"Hopefully you on some of the days. Marcia is getting me an assistant for the tour".

Their dinner arrived and they ate quickly.

Jennifer cleaned up the kitchen when they were finished and then went upstairs to bed and started doing some planning for the book tour. Jonathan came and joined her.

"Darling, can you come with me to the first date? My aunts live in Miami, and I was hoping we could have dinner with them after the book signing".

"I can probably swing that".

"Wonderful".

He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"In fact, give me a list of the dates and cities and I'll be at as many as I can".

"Darling, I can't ask you to put your work on hold, you have meetings and things to do".

"Jennifer, you are the most important aspect of my life, and I can work from anywhere. Most of my meetings are conference calls, I can have those from any phone, darling".

She was in the zone, typing at lightning speed and very focused.

She started making lists of things she needed to take with her, lists of outfits she wanted to wear at each stop, things about her that her assistant would need to know.

By the time she was finished, Jonathan had fallen asleep right beside her.

She finally put the laptop away around 12 and turned off all the lights and snuggled up to him.

He sleepily wrapped his arms around her.

"Goodnight, I love you".

"I love you too".

***The next day***

Jennifer was up early, shortly after Jonathan. They had breakfast together and then she was going to start working on her preps again.

"What do you have planned for the day?"

"I need to go buy some new luggage. I need to go buy a few new outfits, and I need to figure out what exactly I'm taking with me and how".

"Can we meet for lunch today? Maybe, Felix's at 11:45?"

"Sure, I can manage that".

She kissed him goodbye when he left and got busy.

Around 11:20, she headed to the restaurant.

He had just been seated when she got there.

"Hi darling".

"Hi beautiful".

"So, I got us something today. You can take yours with you on the tour".

"What is it?"

"Cell phones. That way we can always reach other".

"What a great idea".

"Yours is all set up, and my number is programmed in, and your number is programmed into mine as well. We each have 2000 minutes each month".

"Wonderful".

"And, I know that you will probably have to print stuff while you are on the tour, and it just so happens that Hart Industries owns a business known as PhotoGlow. There are locations of PhotoGlow in every state, and if you need to print anything, or borrow a computer, scanner, whatever, you just go in there and do it and pay by the minute. Here is an owner's card, that will give you the privilege but eliminate the fee. And if they give you any problems, just call me and I'll talk to them".

"Perfect".

"And there's one more thing I want to do-after lunch, can you follow me to the bank? I'm going to add you to my accounts, that way you can have access to whatever you need on the dates I'm not with you".

"Jonathan, that's not a good idea".


	23. Chapter 23

"What do you mean it's not a good idea?"

"I worded that wrong. What I mean is, it's not necessary, because Marcia is giving me a travel allowance. It's all part of my payment for the tour".

"Out of curiosity, how much are you being paid for this?"

She hesitated.

"Nothing for the tour itself. I am being given $1000 travel allowance per month; what I don't use, I get to keep. I get the amount of book sales in my contract, plus half of what the bookstore charges for extras, and if the bookstore pays an appearance fee, I get that".

"Not bad. I'm so proud of you".

He leaned over and kissed her.

"Darling, I appreciate that you won't need me to send you money and all of that when you are gone. But, I still want to add you to my bank account just in case. After the wedding, we would have done it anyways, and if something happens and you do need money for something, it will be nice to know that you will have what you need".

She nodded.

They finished their lunch and headed to the bank.

After the forms were all signed and it was all official, they headed out.

"I'll see you at home tonight, darling. I love you".

"I love you too. When I get home, I promise, I'll take you luggage shopping myself".

He pulled her in close for a steamy embrace and a passionate kiss.

"I love you, I'll see you tonight".

One more kiss and she was headed in one direction and he was headed in the other.

She stopped and bought several outfits, several pairs of shoes, and a new hairdryer. She went by her apartment and basically brought her whole closet to Jonathan's house.

Several trips up the stairs later, she was settled and starting to sort out what was staying and what was going.

Max came upstairs and found her.

"Hiya Miss Edwards."

"Hi Max".

"You carried all this up the steps yourself? You should have asked for help. I would have helped you".

"Oh that's alright Max. It wasn't heavy, just bulky".

"Well, I'll be home all afternoon, so if you need me, just holler".

"Will do".

She made a nice pile on the bed of what clothes she was definitely taking with her. She had just finished hanging up the clothes that were staying in the closet when Jonathan got home.

"Jennifer?"  
"Up here".

He came and found her in the closet.

"Hi baby".

"Hi honey".

She kissed him and hugged him for a few minutes.

"I have a surprise for you. But you have to close your eyes".

He scooped her up and started to carry her downstairs.

"Jonathan, you are going to hurt yourself!"

"Trust me darling, you're as light as a feather".

He carried her downstairs and set her on the couch.

"Ok, open".

She opened her eyes to find a brand new set of Louis Vuitton luggage in front of her. It was the deluxe set- I large rolling suitcase, I medium rolling suitcase, 2 medium sized structured duffle bags, along with the cosmetics case, deluxe oversized carry on, and 4 garment bags.

"Jonathan! You shouldn't have! You're wonderful. Thank you! I love it!"

"Now, there's something else. It's why I got you the second duffel. This is a product my company commissioned. It's a folding luggage cart."

He pulled it out and showed it to her.

"You just put the poles in this slot, and then connect them together and then you can load your luggage onto the cart and pull it behind you. You can hang your garment bags on here, and it will pull up to 500 pounds. Judging by the stack of outfits on the bed upstairs, you should just make that".

"Jonathan!"

"I'm kidding, darling".

He pulled her into an embrace.

"I love you".

"I love you too. And when I'm not there to carry your luggage, then you can pull it with ease".

"I sure will".

"Ok you two-dinner is ready."

They clasped hands and walked into the kitchen.

"What are we having, Max?"

"Max's famous fajita salad".

"Sounds yummy".

He brought their plates to the table.

"I also made a variety of dressings. This one is lime jalapeno, that one is steak sauce based, and this one is a creamy jalapeno ranch".

"Thanks Max".

After a nice dinner, they insisted on doing the dishes and told Max to go rest.

"Want to watch a movie?"

"Can we do it in the bedroom? I want to get a head start on my packing".

"Certainly".

They carried all her luggage upstairs and she started packing it.

"I sure hope these next 2 months fly by".

"Really?"

"Yeah, this house will be too quiet without you, darling".

"That's sweet. I'm kind of hoping it goes by slowly. This is my first book tour so I want to enjoy it".

"That makes sense".

After she got the large suitcase and the garment bags all packed, she moved them to the guest room and then came back and sat on the bed with him.

"Darling, you've done so much to see that I'm taken care of. Who is going to take care of you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, all the little things I do for you, like turning the bed down on your side at night, knowing exactly how you like your coffee in the morning, bringing you a warm towel in the morning while you are in the shower. The little things".

"Well, Max knows how I like my coffee and the rest, I will enjoy more when you get back home".

She went and put a nightgown on and then came back and snuggled with him.

"There is one thing, though that only you can do for me".

"What's that?"

"This".

He rolled on top of her and kissed her passionately.

They made sweet, tender, romantic love f or a few hours and then fell asleep.

***Sunday morning***

Jonathan drove them to the airport around 7 in the morning. Their flight was leaving at 8:30.

Marcia had insisted that they fly commercial for this tour, and Jennifer had been unable to talk her into letting her fly with Jonathan on this flight.

"Darling, I'm meeting with Christine this weekend to look at houses again. What if I find a video conference center and we do a video conference so you can see the house too?"

"Sounds great".

They parked and then went through security and then headed towards their gate.

Jennifer had her oversized bag with her and Jonathan had a briefcase.

They stopped in an airport café for breakfast and then went and sat at their gate.

"Did Marcia bump us up to first class?"

"No, I don't think she did".

"I'll be right back".

He went and spoke to the gate agent for a few minutes.

He came back to her.

"Sorry darling, they are all full".

Within an hour, they were boarding.

They found their seats and got settled. They barely had any leg room.

They raised the armrest between them and buckled up.

"I can't wait for you to meet my aunts darling".

"I'm excited to meet them too".

"I just know they are going to love you".

"So what's the plan?"

"Well, I figure we would get settled at the hotel, and then call and figure out where to meet them for dinner. And then tonight, I have to meet my assistant and go over the schedule for tomorrow. I think she said I have a couple tv interviews plus a book signing, maybe? Or maybe it's just TV interviews this week and book signings next week".

"So tell me about your book".

"Well, the two main characters are Nicole, a twenty-something, and the guy who's interested in her, a twenty-something named Ryan. Ryan loves Nicole with all his heart, but Nicole wants to kind of do some exploring. So she gets a job in another town and they promise they will come see each other but things happen and they aren't able to see each other. He thinks that she looks down on him because of his lack of education and the fact that he hasn't left Three Rivers, but that's not it. Nicole doesn't really care about that. She's focusing on how he makes her feel and how she makes him feel. And she feels that because she has received an education that he won't want her. So they spend some time apart, and they both realize that they have to do whatever it takes to keep their relationship going".

"Whatever it takes. I like that".

"Yeah me too".

"So, this is where it gets interesting. There's this guy that sets his sights on her. His name is Trey. Trey comes from high dollar money, and was born with about 100 silver spoons in his mouth. He wines her, and dines her, and she enjoys spending time with him. There's just one little problem-no physical chemistry. At all. Ever."

"None?"

"None. In fact, it's just the opposite. Every time Trey touches her, she breaks out in hives".

"Interesting. So I take it she has a choice to make, between the two?"

"Yes, she does. And she has a lot of pressure on her too, because her father wants her to marry into money and her mother wants her to follow her heart, and she wants to go back to Magnolia Heights, where she went to school and was happy. So she has to choose whether she's going to stay in town with someone her parents think isn't good for her, or whether she's going to move back to where she is happy and find someone new".

"Sounds like a good book".

"I was amazed Marcia wanted to publish it. I wrote the first part 4 years ago, I never dreamed I would finish it".

She laced her fingers through his and leaned over and kissed his shoulder.

"How many days can you stay with me?"

"I have to fly back Tuesday afternoon. But I am planning on flying back next weekend after I meet with the realtor".

"Wonderful".

They tried to relax the rest of the flight, but it was hard because they were so cramped. They had three seats on their row and Jennifer was able to stretch her legs out into the third seat, but it was still tight. She offered to switch with Jonathan but he declined.

He tried to order a scotch but the flight attendant didn't have any.

He tried to stretch his leg out into the aisle but she kept asking him to move it.

"None of this would be happening in first class".

"Darling, it's ok. We are almost there".

About an hour later, they landed. Jonathan was beyond ready to get off the plane.

They leisurely strolled through the airport and made their way to baggage claim.

After they had the bags collected, they took a taxi to the airport.

"You're staying at the Hilton? Nice".

"Yeah, we had a budget meeting and I told her I wanted a nice room. I can't be my best if I'm not well rested".

She got them checked in and they headed up to her room.

After they were settled, she sat down and called her aunts.

"Hi Aunt Beth, it's Jennifer".

They chatted for a bit and then decided to do dinner at 8 at Palm Coast.

She called her Aunt Virginia and invited her as well.

After she was off the phone, she went and showered and got ready.

"Darling, which dress do you like better?"

She held up an orchid colored sheath sleeveless dress with a v-cut or a strapless sweetheart hot pink wrap dress.

"I like both, darling. You look great in either one".

"Well, thank you. I guess I'll wear the pink one".

She laid it on the bed and opened her suitcase.

"What's your favorite color?"  
"Blue".

She picked a bright blue strapless pushup bra and matching panties and quickly slipped them on.

She was about to put on her dress when he came over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"You are so beautiful".

"Oh no…." she started chuckling.

"Come on, It'll be terrific".

"Darling, we don't have time. I told my aunts we would meet them."

"So, we can be a few minutes late".

"We'll have more time if we wait till after, darling".

"Yeah, but I won't be able to concentrate all through dinner".

"Neither will I, but really we don't have time".

"What's your favorite color?"

"Green".

He gave her a quick kiss and then she headed into the bathroom to do her hair and makeup while he went to the bedroom to change.

He emerged in some green silk boxers.

He came and stood by her and did a few beefcake poses and some GQ poses.

"Jonathan, what are you doing?"

"Seeing you in blue underwear turned me on darling. So, I'm doing the same to you. Turnabout is fair play".

She was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

"So now if you attack me in the restaurant, it will all make sense".

"I'll try to control myself".

They got dressed and headed to meet her aunts.

They were the first ones to arrive at the restaurant.

"Hi, we need a table for 6".

"Certainly, right this way ma'am".

Jonathan ordered a bottle of wine for the table and a few minutes later, her aunts and uncles arrived.

"Hi Aunt Ginny! It has been years since I saw you!"

"You are just as gorgeous as ever, sweet Jennifer".

"Hi Uncle Nick!" She leaned up to hug her uncle.

Beth and her husband David showed up then.

"Hi Aunt Beth, Uncle David".

After a round of hugs, she turned to Jonathan.

"This is my boyfriend Jonathan Hart. Jonathan, this is Aunt Ginny, Uncle Nick, Aunt Beth and Uncle David".

They all shook hands and then sat down and ordered.

"So what finally brings you to Miami?"

"Well, I wrote a book and I'm on a book tour. This is stop one. I'm doing a book signing tomorrow at Field's bookstore at 4. And I'm going to be on tv in the morning, with the local news show".

"Wonderful! Do you have to have tickets to your book signing?"

"No, it's free. You have to buy my book though, if you want me to sign it. You can buy a pre-signed book or a new copy and I'll personalize it. And I've agreed to take pictures with people as well".

"That sounds wonderful!"

"So how long have you and Jonathan been together?"

"Almost 4 months. And actually, we are engaged".

"Engaged! Oh that's splendid! I know your father is just thrilled".

"We haven't spoken since our horrible dinner in DC. As far as I know, he doesn't know we are engaged. I certainly haven't told him".

"Well, maybe this engagement will help you mend things".

"I highly doubt it. That dinner was the first time he ever met Jonathan and he was completely rude and nasty right to his face. I told him we had no relationship whatsoever from that point on and I meant it".

"So what kind of wedding are you planning on having?"

"We haven't really thought about it. We talked at one point about a simple ceremony and then a big party. We talked about a private ceremony and then a big party at a later date. This book tour kind of threw a wrench into the planning".

He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"We can plan whatever you want when the tour is over with, darling".

They had a lovely dinner and Jonathan could see she really enjoyed spending time with her aunts and uncles.

Jonathan picked up the check and they all headed out of the restaurant.

"Thanks for coming to dinner with us, we appreciate it."

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world, sweet girl".

She hugged them all and then grasped their hands.

"Ok you two. Tomorrow at 4, Field's Bookstore. Send all your friends. Send your coworkers, send your enemies."

"We will do our best".

"Jonathan, it was lovely to meet you. We are so happy our sweet Jennifer found someone to take care of her and make her happy".

"As happy as she makes me, it's a piece of cake making her happy".

"Aww, how sweet". She leaned over and kissed him.

They said their goodbyes and headed back to the hotel.

Jonathan noticed a change in Jennifer almost immediately.

When they got back to the hotel, they walked in and went to the elevator.

"Baby, are you ok? You're awfully quiet."

"Yeah. I was just thinking. I think I'm going to extend an olive branch to my dad".

"Great".

They walked into their room and she kicked her shoes off and slipped her dress off and put on her nightgown.

She sat down on the side of the bed and picked up the phone and called her dad.

"Hi Walter? It's Jennifer. Is my dad around?"

"Certainly, Miss Jennifer, one moment."

She waited for a few minutes and then he came back to the phone.

"I'm sorry Miss Jennifer. He said he has nothing to say to you".

"Well alright. Can you just tell him I love him?"

"I can. Miss Jennifer, he also asked me to ask you to not call here again".

"Oh. Alright. Well thank you, Walter. Goodnight".

She hung up the phone, dumbfounded.

She turned to Jonathan and relayed the conversation.

"Well, I guess that's that".


	24. Chapter 24

Jennifer tried to put the conversation with Walter out of her mind, but it was hard. She had never known her father to be this unfeeling. Something had changed him, she just didn't know what.

Jonathan just wrapped his arms around her and held her for a bit. She rested her head on his chest.

They were just about to make love when there was a knock on the door.

Jennifer sighed.

She got up and put on a robe and then answered the door, as Jonathan climbed under the covers.

Jennifer opened the door to find a young woman standing on the other side.

"Hi, I'm Meredith. I'm your assistant. We need to go over the schedule for tomorrow."

"Oh, alright".

"First, you have a breakfast meeting at 8:30".

"Well, Jonathan and I were going to have breakfast-"

"I'm sorry. This is more important".

"Ok, who is my meeting with?"

"It's an interview. A local tv station, I believe. After that, you have a lunch meeting with the owner of the bookstore to go over what they expect during the book signing and the terms and all that. The book signing is from 4-8. There will be a photo shoot with the owner of the bookstore, plus local media beforehand. And then as soon as the shoot is over, you are going to head to the airport to fly to your next city. So, your things will need to be packed before the breakfast meeting, as you won't be coming back here afterwards".

"Wait a minute. This isn't going to work. First of all, I will need to be able to change clothes and decompress a bit before the flight. And second of all, I already promised Jonathan we would have breakfast together. So when he's with me, he will take priority".

"You are going to have to speak to Marcia about this, she told me how to plan things".

"No, I'm not. I'm speaking to you about this. Now, here's what is going to happen. You are going to give me an hour to spend with Jonathan after the interview in the morning. Then, after the book signing, we will come back here, and I will change clothes and get ready for the flight. If that doesn't work, find me a different flight. And if you intend to keep your job, I suggest the next time we have one of these meetings, you talk to me and with me, instead of 'at' me".

"Yes ma'am".

Meredith turned and left the room without another word.

Jennifer locked the door behind her and climbed back in bed with Jonathan.

"Darling, we don't have to have breakfast together tomorrow, it's alright."

"No, it's not alright. She had no right to dismiss you from my schedule like that".

She snuggled down against his chest and started kissing his neck.

"Now, where were we?"

He caressed her lips with his and wrapped his arms around her. He had just rolled on top of her when the phone rang.

They both sighed.

He reached over and answered it.

"Hello? Sure, one second".

He kissed her and handed her the phone.

"Hello?...right now? Can't this wait? Jonathan and I were about to go to bed… Ok, ok. Fine. But I'm only giving you 20 minutes and that's it".

She hung up the phone.

"I'm sorry darling. Meredith went to Marcia's room and freaked out, so Marcia is demanding that I come to her room so we can settle this before tomorrow. I'll be right back, I promise".

She kissed him a few times and then got up and threw some clothes on and headed to Marcia's room.

20 minutes later, she was back and she didn't look happy.

"Everything alright?"

"No, but I'm just going to have to find a way to deal with it".

"What happened?"

"Well, she told Marcia that I was being unreasonable, and that I wanted to change everything and that she was trying to accommodate my requests but it wasn't going to work any other way. And I told Marcia that I wasn't being unreasonable, that nobody had asked me about the schedule before they booked all this. So, we came to an agreement that tomorrow will go as planned, but in the future, I will be consulted before the schedules are booked. I told her that you have a plane and that we could use that, but for some reason she refused. So, now Meredith is threatening to quit, and Marcia is saying that if she does, I won't have an assistant for the remainder of the tour which means I'll have to set up and take down the displays myself and do my own bookings. I reminded her that without talent, you don't have a book tour. I am the talent, and that I have feelings and opinions too. I don't think it's too much to ask to want to spend time with my fiance when we are in the same city. So, she said that if that was the problem, maybe you don't need to join me anymore. So I told her I would quit the book tour and cancel the remaining dates if she wouldn't let you come, and that's when we started compromising. So, the deal is-tomorrow, you are going to come with me to the interview. We will eat breakfast together while I do my interview. And then I was thinking- I can pack a traveling outfit in my carryon and change at the bookstore or something".

She turned to look at him.

"When are you flying home?"

"I had planned on going with you to the airport and flying home after your plane takes off. What's your next city?"

"Orlando".

She got up and got her list.

"Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, and then Saturday I'll be in Raleigh. Sunday, we head to Duke University, and then Monday, I'll be in Virginia".

"Is it going to be like that each week?"

"I think so".

She put the list on the nightstand and then turned the light back out.

He rolled on top of her and took her in his arms.

"Well then, we better make the most of the time we have right now".

***The next morning***

Jennifer's alarm went off at 7. She jumped up and got a quick shower and got ready.

When Jonathan got out of the shower, he found her all packed up and going over her notes.

He had just gotten ready when there was a knock at the door.

He went and opened it and found Meredith on the other side. She brushed right past him, and walked right over to Jennifer.

"What are you doing? You were supposed to be downstairs ten minutes ago!"

"We said we would meet in the lobby at 7:45, it's only 7:30".

"No, we said we were leaving at 7:45, which means we have to be downstairs at 7:30".

Jonathan quickly packed his things and they headed down to the lobby.

She and Jonathan were holding hands as they walked through the lobby.

He stopped to grab them both a cup of coffee from the continental breakfast.

"We don't have time for that, let's go".

Jonathan ignored Meredith and just kept making their coffee.

They all got into the cab a few minutes later, and Jennifer immediately snuggled up to Jonathan.

"Thank you for the coffee, darling".

He leaned over and kissed her.

"You're welcome".

They arrived at the news station for her interview, and went inside.

Jonathan got to sit with Jennifer during hair and makeup, and then walked with her to the soundstage.

He stood in the shadows while she gave a flawless interview and couldn't have been prouder of her.

As soon as it was over, she walked straight to him.

He kissed her a few times and hugged her some.

"You were just wonderful, darling. Absolutely wonderful. I'm so proud of you".

"Aww thank you. I love you, I'm so glad you're here with me".

"Jennifer, this little lovefest is nice and all, but we have to go. They are serving breakfast in 10 minutes".

"Alright".

She laced her hands through Jonathan's and they followed Meredith. They got into a cab and rode to the restaurant.

"Who are we meeting for breakfast?"

"4 reporters from various newspapers in the city".

"Got it".

"There have been some changes to the schedule. Looks like you will have 5 days at home at the end of next week. Delaware was moved to the end of the tour. So, after your book signing in Maryland, you can fly back to LA and then you won't have to be anywhere till you are in Nebraska 5 days later".

"Perfect. Book me a first class flight to Los Angeles, the first one as soon as the book signing is over with. And first-class to Nebraska too".

"Certainly. As soon as this interview is over with, we need to head to the restaurant for your next set of interviews. After that, we will head to the bookstore and you will need to sign a bunch of copies of the book. I think they are going to have a thing where you can buy one that you have autographed, or they can pay $10 extra dollars and have you personalize it".

"I like that idea".

"Darling, do I get a copy of the book?"

"Of course, you do".

She leaned over and kissed him.

"Do you two have to do that everywhere you go?"

Meredith turned and looked out the window in disgust.

Jennifer was so shocked by her brazenness that she turned and kissed him again.

Jonathan spoke up first.

"Where is Marcia?"

"She's in the other cab."

Jennifer squeezed Jonathan's hand to let him know they were thinking the same thing.

They pulled up to the restaurant and Jonathan got out and held the door open for Jennifer.

"Thank you, darling".

They walked inside and Meredith got them a table.

The waitress led them to the table and started passing out menus.

"Ok, Jennifer, you should sit here at the head of the table. Marcia can sit next to you, I'll sit next to her, the reporters can all sit on this side, and Jonathan, I guess you can sit at the end".

"Darling, I would feel better if you sat next to me. I'm sure Marcia won't mind."

"Whatever you want, baby".

Meredith shot him a mean glance as he walked past her and towards Jennifer.

The three of them sat down.

"Meredith, would you mind giving me and Jonathan a few minutes alone, please?"

Meredith shot her a rude look.

"Where do you suggest I go?"

"The bar, or maybe the hostess stand to wait for the press and Marcia".

"Fine".

She stalked off in a huff.

"As soon as we get on the plane tonight, I am going to insist that Marcia and I sit together in first class and we are going to have a long chat while little miss thing is in coach".

"Good. I hate to see her treat you this way".

"It's going to be a long 4 months if she doesn't knock it the hell off".

"Well, she's not here right now, and this might be the last time we are alone all day. You look gorgeous, baby. And you were so polished and professional during that last interview".

"Well thank you. I just pretended I was talking to you".

The waitress came and brought them mimosas and waters.

"To a great first day of the book tour".

"I'll drink to that".

They clinked glasses, kissed and then took a sip.

A few minutes later, Marcia arrived at the table.

"Hello".

"Hi".

"Meredith is waiting at the restaurant for the press".

"Great. While we have a few minutes, tonight, on the plane, can you and I sit in first class and Meredith sit in coach? There are a few things I want to talk to you about".

"Certainly. Is everything alright?"

"Physically, yes. But unless things take a turn, it's going to be a long 4 months".

"What do you mean?"

"From the very beginning, I told you when I agreed to this that when Jonathan is able to come with me, I want him to, if he wants to. But it's like she's trying to keep him away from me the entire time we are together. She is making rude comments to us, and just not respecting our time together. So, maybe, I need another assistant".

"Jennifer, you two are going to have to work this out. I don't have another assistant to give you".

"Marcia, if I may, how much are you paying Meredith?"

"For the entire book tour, she will make $7500. I pay for her meals, her hotel, and her travel, at a discount".

"If I can find someone to take her place, and I agree to pay the $7500, can you cover the rest?"

"Yes, I can. But I have to have cause, and personality conflicts aren't cause".

"Well then, something is going to have to change. And if it doesn't, I will give back all the payments and quit the press tour and go home".

Marcia sighed.

"Ok, I will talk to her about not making snide comments about you two and about not scheduling you so tight. I do think that once things get going, the kinks will work out and it will be fine".

"I hope so. I mean what I said-I will quit and go home".

"I will go talk to her right now".

"Thank you".

Marcia got up and headed to talk to Meredith, leaving Jennifer alone with Jonathan.

"Do you think I'm overreacting, darling?"

"NO, I don't. She wasn't just rude to you, she was rude to both of us. And you're right, there's no point in spending the next 4 months with someone who is consistently nasty to you".

"I'm glad you see it my way, darling".

Marcia, Meredith and the members of the press came to the table then.

"Hi, I'm Jennifer Edwards, this is my fiance Jonathan Hart".

After the introductions were over, the interview began.

"Darling, when the waitress comes, will you order me a steak omelet with all the veggies and sliced fruit on the side?"

"Certainly".

"Thank you".

Jonathan listened as Jennifer gave her interview. She really seemed at ease.

"Ok, last question, Miss Edwards. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you think you will enjoy this book tour?"

"Well, that's a trick question. Success always comes at a price. I can't wait to hear how much people enjoyed my writing, but at the same time, I'm going to miss my fiance and our home, our life together. This is the first book tour I've ever been on, so I'm definitely excited about experiencing it".

"Great. Well thank you for your time, Miss Edwards. We appreciate it".

"Thank you for the interest. As a journalist, I appreciate the time and effort you all are putting in, so I really appreciate it".

The press left, and she and Jonathan had a few moments to finish their meal.

"Jennifer, I've already paid for breakfast. Meredith and I are going to take a cab to the bookstore. Why don't you and Jonathan do the same, in say 45 minutes?"

"Sounds great".

Marcia and Meredith left, giving Jennifer and Jonathan some time alone.

After a somewhat romantic brunch, they got a cab and headed to the bookstore.

As soon as they walked in, Jennifer was busy busy. She had to pose for photos, sign books ahead of the signing, and speaking with the bookstore staff.

Jonathan approached her about an hour before the signing.

"Darling, I am going to go run an errand. I should be back before it starts. But if I'm not, I love you and you'll do just great".

He kissed her a few times.

"I love you too. Hurry back if you can".

The next time she looked up, three hours had gone by and he was just walking in the door.

He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand and her favorite drink from her favorite coffee place.

"Darling, you shouldn't have".

"Well, you deserve it."

He kissed her cheek and handed her the flowers and coffee.

She took a quick sip.

"Mmmmm I needed this for sure".

She turned to Meredith.

"Meredith, my aunt Ginny and my aunt Beth both said they would be here. If you can, can you please find them, and have them wait for me? I will definitely want to spend a few minutes with them".

"Sure".

"Thank you".

The bookstore owner introduced Jennifer to the crowd and they all cheered for her.

The line started moving. She had about 10 minutes with each person, if they wanted that much. Most of them just wanted an autograph and a picture.

Jonathan sat and watched her. She was like a machine, smiling at people, saying thank you, signing books, answering questions.

The line dwindled around 7, and her aunts were waiting with Jonathan.

They came and sat with her when there wasn't anyone in line.

"We are so proud of you".

"Well thank you. This is kind of exciting. I never actually thought I would finish this book, much less get it published".

"We saw you on the news this morning, and you were just adorable! So much like your mom. She would be so proud of you".

"Thank you. I've thought about her a lot today".

They chatted for about 20 minutes and then the bookstore owner decided nobody else was coming, so they started taking everything down.

She signed about 40 more copies for them to keep on display in the store and then they were free to leave.

She hugged her aunts goodbye and thanked them for coming and then she turned to Marcia.

"Jonathan and I will meet you at the airport, out front of the Delta terminal".

"Perfect. We will be there in about an hour".

They hopped in a cab and Jonathan gave him the address.

Jennifer had her carryon bags with her.

"Where are we going?"

"My luggage is in the hotel. I thought I would get it and change clothes as well".

"Great idea".

He wrapped an arm around her.

"Darling, I know I told you this already this morning, but you were amazing tonight. You charmed people, you listened to them, you signed everything put in front of you, and you did it with a smile on your face the whole time. You were absolutely amazing and I'm so glad I was here to watch you do it".

"Thank you. It was exhilarating. It really was. I looked up, and half the time was gone. And 5 minutes later I looked up again and an hour had passed".

The cab pulled them up to the hotel and they went inside and headed to their room.

They stepped onto the elevator. Jennifer laced her fingers between his, and leaned against him.

He led her to their room, and opened the door.

"How long will it take us to get to the airport?"

"Only about 20 minutes".

He picked up the phone and called the front desk.

"Yeah, can you call us back in about 30 minutes? Thank you".

Jennifer walked over to Jonathan.

"Darling, can you unzip me, please?"

"Oh, most definitely".

He kissed her neck as he unzipped her.

"Oh". A sweet grin spread across her face.

She reached back to unhook her bra, but he pushed her hands out of the way.

"Let me, baby".

"Alright".

He kissed her neck as he unhooked her bra and then reached around and squeezed her breasts.

She let out a slight moan as he did, and leaned back against him.

Her dress and bra fell off her shoulders and to the floor.

She reached behind her and undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants. She leaned her head to one side as he started kissing his way up her neck.

He reached down and took her hand and kissed his way up her arm to her shoulder.

She used her other hand to untuck his shirt from his pants.

She stepped out of her heels and turned and laid down on the bed.

He pushed his suitcase to the floor, and then stepped out of his pants and climbed on top of her.

She grabbed his face and kissed him, before he spent some time sucking on her nipples.

She ran her fingers through his hair.

He brought his kisses back up to her lips and reached down and tugged her underwear off her hips.

She reached down and pushed his off of him.

He ran his hands up and down her back as he quickly entered her in one swift motion.

She matched his hip motions and gripped his shoulders with her fingers.

He brought them both to an explosive climax, and then kissed her as they calmed down, both of them trying to enjoy the last bits of the euphoria.

"You are the only person who has ever and will ever be able to make me feel like that".

"Same here, baby".

They spent a few minutes just kissing and holding each other and then the phone rang. It was the front desk, with the alarm they requested.

They both changed clothes, and then headed to the elevator.

They had a lovely ride to the airport, and met Marcia and Meredith outside the Delta terminal.

Jonathan purchased a ticket for Los Angeles that was leaving right after Jennifer's flight.

They went through security together, and were happy to discover their gates were side by side.

He sat with them while they waited for the plane to take off.

"I promise I'll call you every night, before I go to bed."

"And I'll call you every morning, before I hop in the shower."

"And I'll see you in a week, for a whole week".

' _Now Boarding for service to Orlando'._

"Well, that's me. I love you, I'll call you in the morning".

"I love you too. Thanks for coming out here with me. Wouldn't have been the same without you".

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world".

"Try to sleep on the plane darling. You don't want to be cranky for your meeting tomorrow".

"I will, I promise. I love you".

"I love you too".

A few more kisses later, and she headed to board, while he headed to his gate.

' _8 days till I see her again. Gonna be the longest 8 days of my life'._


	25. Chapter 25

Jennifer settled into her first-class seat, next to Marcia.

She got settled and then opened her water bottle and took a long sip.

"Well, the preliminary numbers are in. Your book is predicted to be a best-seller. We sold out at the bookstore tonight and the bookstore for tomorrow's signing has requested another 250 copies."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, I was really impressed. And I spoke to Meredith. I told her that she needed to keep her personal comments about you and Jonathan to yourself, and that you needed to be kept informed ahead of time when possible about the schedule. I also told her we need to not schedule you so tight, so that you do have downtime to decompress and relax. We need that too. And I also told her that you will let us know when Jonathan is coming out to join you, and that we would make every arrangement with him in mind when he does so".

"Thank you. I hope you don't think I was being difficult, or overreacting. It's just that after she barged into our hotel room this morning, and then she yelled at him for getting himself and me coffee, and she made some comments in the car that he and I felt were out of line, and it wasn't even 9 a.m. I don't want to start the tour that way, I don't want to spend 4 months fighting with someone every single day. And I don't want Jonathan to have to pay someone to come help me out, either. That's not fair".

"I don't think that at all. In fact, I agree with you. I think this was just a personality clash that needed to be worked out, and boundaries that needed to be set. Once we get into a routine and get settled, it will be better, believe me".

"So, what's on deck for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow will be a little easier. You are doing a question and answer session at the local library in the morning, and then a signing in the afternoon at a local bookstore. You will be done by 7, back in the hotel by 8:30. We aren't flying to Atlanta till early the next morning, so you will have some time to relax and rest".

"Perfect".

She read the rest of the flight and relaxed a little bit.

Within an hour, they were on their way to the hotel. Jennifer was ready for a hot bath, some hot tea, and some room service.

As they checked into their room, they agreed to meet in the lobby at 8:30.

"Goodnight".

"Goodnight, see you in the morning".

Meredith and Marcia were on a different floor than Jennifer. She was glad for the peace and quiet.

She opened the door to her room and pulled her luggage cart inside. Sitting on the table was a red rose in a skinny crystal vase. She pulled the card out and read it.

" _I miss you bigger than the ocean, I love you bigger than the sky, and I'm so proud of you that it fills the universe. Can't wait till we are in the same place again. Love, Jonathan"._

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, and wished he was there with her.

She pulled her phone out and sent him a quick text.

' _I love you. Thanks for the rose, I wish you were here too. This hotel is so lonely without you. I have a late morning tomorrow-call me when your plane lands. I love you-me"._

She went and took her bath and then ordered some room service as she climbed into bed.

She drifted off to sleep shortly thereafter, dreaming of Jonathan the whole time.

***Middle of the night***

Jonathan's flight landed at midnight, which was 3 a.m. Jennifer's time.

He pulled out his phone, saw her text and decided to give her a quick call.

She sleepily answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi baby. It's me. I just landed. I'm walking to baggage claim, and then I'm taking the shuttle to the car and going home. I love you".

"I love you too, I wish you were here".

"I wish I was there too. Go back to sleep baby, we can talk later".

"Sounds good, I love you".

"I love you too".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone and fell right back to sleep.

***A few hours later***

Jennifer's alarm went off at 7:30, and she got up and got ready. She chose a pair of black and white palazzo pants and paired it with a black sleeveless top and black strappy wedges. She was downstairs by 8 and was just finishing her breakfast when Marcia and Meredith came down.

"Morning. You look great".

"Thank you".

They went over what she could expect that day, and then as soon as Marcia and Meredith were finished eating, they headed out.

As they pulled up to the library, Jennifer was surprised to see a line forming outside.

"Wow, look at the crowd".

"Oh, this is great! It's only our second stop! This is wonderful".

Jennifer had a knot in her stomach.

She was ushered in a side door and taken to a back room.

"Hi, I'm Leslie, the operating manager here at the Orlando Public Library. We cannot thank you enough for coming".

"My pleasure".

"So, originally we were expecting a rather informal question and answer session, however with this crowd, that's not possible. So, our employees are out having them write down their questions, and we are going to have you pick some and read them aloud, if you don't mind".

"Not at all".

"So, we figured 1 hour for question answering, and then 1 hour for signing. We have a table and comfy chair for you to sit in, and if you need anything, let us know".

"Thank you, I appreciate it".

They took a few photos, and then Marcia and Meredith headed to get everything set up.

Jennifer pulled her phone out and called Jonathan.

"Hello?"

"Hi darling. It's me".

"Hi gorgeous. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I suppose so. I just needed to hear your voice. I'm in Orlando at the public library and they are going to have me talk to these people, Jonathan. Actually talk to them. I feel so out of my element".

He chuckled.

"Darling, you are magnificent. You will do just perfect, I'm sure of it".

"But darling, I'm not prepared. I have no idea what they are going to ask me and how I'm going to respond".

"Just answer their questions authentically, and if you don't feel comfortable answering a question, then say so. It's ok, this is just your nerves talking."

"Yeah, I think you're right".

"Have Marcia or Meredith film it, and send it to me afterwards, ok? I love you".

"I will. I love you too. Call me tonight?"

"You got it".

She blew him a kiss as they hung up the phone.

"Jennifer, you're on in 3 minutes".

"Ok".

She did a quick double check of her hair and makeup, and then went and stood by the curtain waiting for the announcement.

' _Ladies and Gentlemen-Miss Jennifer Edwards'._

She walked out to loud applause, and took her seat.

The question and answer section began and lasted about an hour.

She answered all kinds of questions to how she came up with the idea for the book, to where she went to college.

After she had answered the questions, they called people up row by row to meet her and have their books signed. Two hours later, she was finished and finally on her way to the hotel to rest before the book signing.

Marcia turned to her in the cab.

"How do you feel?"

"Good. I was nervous before the question and answer, but it wasn't that bad. I think I did ok".

"Ok? Sweetheart, you were magnificent. They couldn't get enough of you. You killed it!"

"Well, thank you".

They arrived at the hotel and she headed straight for her room.

"How about I call you 20 minutes before we leave?"

"Perfect".

She came inside her room and kicked her shoes off.

She stretched out on the bed and called Jonathan.

Straight to voicemail.

'Damn. I was hoping to talk to him'.

She left him a message telling him she loved him and that she was back in her room and then hung up and turned on the tv.

About 15 minutes later, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi darling. I'm sorry I missed your call. I was in a meeting. How did it go?"

"Well, actually. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, and once I got started, it was pretty easy, actually. And then I signed their books for a couple hours and now we are back at the hotel. I have about an hour and half till I have to leave for the bookstore."

"Sounds wonderful".

"I only hope it goes by fast. The faster this whole thing goes, the sooner I get home to you".

"Well, that's true, but enjoy it darling. This is a once-in a lifetime experience, so enjoy it too".

"That's a good point. You always know just what to say to make me feel better".

"I promise you, as soon as you get back home, I'll make you feel any way you want".

"Promises, promises, Mr. Hart".

"I always keep my promises".

"I love you, Mr. Hart".

"I love you too, Miss Edwards. My next meeting is about to start. I'll call you tonight, baby".

"I love you".

"Love you too".

She blew him a kiss and hung up the phone, trying to figure out how she was going to get through the rest of the week without seeing him every day.

***A week later***

Jennifer was dragging. She was 2 engagements from being able to get on a plane and fly home to Jonathan for 5 whole days. She couldn't stand it she was so excited.

Her last engagement tonight was in Maryland, only about 45 minutes from where she grew up.

She and Marcia were having lunch before the book signing.

"Jennifer, I hope you don't think I overstepped, and I know we haven't talked about it. Tonight's book signing is a ticket only event, and I sent your father two tickets to come. So, when you see him, introduce him to me and I'll make sure that he is allowed backstage with you and has whatever he needs".

"Thank you, but I doubt he'll come. Did you talk to him directly?"

"No, I just had a messenger take the tickets to the house and slip them in the mailbox".

"Well, he's mad at me, and we haven't spoken in months. First night of the tour, I tried to reach out, but he refused to speak to me. So, yeah, I'll be shocked as shit if he shows up".

"Well, I'm not going to pry, but I hope that whatever caused you two to stop speaking isn't going to end up in the press. We don't need negative publicity for the tour".

"It won't. It's a long story, but about 8 or 9 years ago, my father made a business deal with someone. My father is a curator in several art galleries, and he was approached by a businessman who owns several high-dollar properties. He wanted my father to put some of his coveted art collections into this guy's business, as part of the décor. But there was one catch to the deal-he wanted dinner with me. I went to dinner with him a few times, but he was definitely more interested in me-and in himself-than I was in him. As soon as I broke things off, he approached my father and sweetened the deal. My father came to me and asked me to not only reconsider dating him, but to marry him. When I refused, he cut me off financially. Everything was fine till a few months ago, when I took Jonathan to meet him. Jonathan is the absolute most genuine, caring, compassionate, kindhearted, sweetest person I've ever known, and the fact that we fell in love with each other is just icing on the cake. And my father told him to his face that because his name didn't have esquire or 'the third' at the end of it, that he wasn't ever going to amount to anything at all. It was disgusting, rude, unacceptable and uncalled for. I told him so, right there in the restaurant, and I told him that as of that moment, he and I had no relationship and that I wish I had never come to visit him. We haven't spoken since."

"I see. Well, I hate to hear that. Maybe news of your success will reach him and he will reconsider".

"My father's stubborn roots go all the way to China, I'm afraid. He won't give in. I appreciate the gesture, but trust me, he won't be here. He regards my career as a writer as play, even though I have won several awards, and have been moderately successful. Not once in my entire life has he told me he was proud of me or that he loved me, and he's not about to start now".

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause anything-"

"Oh, that's alright. You didn't. He's a different breed, that's for sure. Thankfully, I get most of my looks and personality from my mother".

"Well, why don't we do this? I'll send a messenger back to the house to retrieve the envelope".

"No, don't. If he's home, he's probably already brought it in, and if he's not, he'll know he missed his opportunity."

"Ok. Well, if there's ever anyone you want to see on a stop, just tell me and I'll make sure they are notified".

"Thank you, I appreciate it".

"Ok, So we have some time to go back to the hotel. Now, this time you will need to bring all your luggage with you to the bookstore, because we are going to the airport right after your flight. If you want to change clothes, you can do so in the bookstore".

"Wonderful!"

"Here is your itinerary for the first stop when the tour resumes, in Lincoln, Nebraska."

She slid a piece of paper across the table to her.

"Thank you".

"Tonight at the bookstore, it's strictly signing and taking pictures. That's it. Not a lot of time for chit-chat. And they are limited to 3 books for you to sign, per person".

"Great. Those always go by the fastest."

"Yes, they do".

After lunch was over, they headed to the hotel.

She pulled her phone out to call Jonathan.

"Hello?"  
"Hi. I'm one engagement from being home with you".

"Wonderful. Max and I can't wait to see you".

"My plane should land sometime around 9 your time, darling".

"I'll be waiting for you at baggage claim. And Max is fixing your favorite dinner".

"How wonderful. I can't wait to snuggle with you tonight".

"Me either".

"I hate to cut this short, but I have a meeting to get to. I love you, more than you know".

"I love you too, more than you know. I'll see you tonight".

She blew him a kiss and then hung up.

She barely had time to pack everything up before she had to be back downstairs.

The book signing went by quickly, but it was also her best turnout so far.

She signed her name so many times her hand started to cramp. She posed for countless photos, and listened to so many well-wishes that everyone began to run together.

By the time she was in the car and headed to the airport, she was absolutely exhausted.

She barely made it to the airport with just minutes before her flight took off.

She was the last one to board, and settled into her first-class seat just before the doors closed.

As soon as she was buckled, she fell asleep.

5 hours later, she woke up and found she only had 30 minutes left in her flight.

Even though she had napped, she was still so, so tired. She got up and went to the bathroom to try and make herself presentable for Jonathan.

As soon as they landed, she was the first one up and ready to deboard the plane.

She had at least a 30 gate walk to baggage claim. She walked as fast as she could and then took the moving sidewalk.

As soon as she spotted him, she teared up.

She jumped in his arms and hugged him so fiercely.

They spent a few minutes just kissing and holding each other.

She finally broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his.

"Hi".

"Hi. I missed you so much".

"Same here. Let's get your bags so we can continue this at home".

She kissed him again and then went and got a luggage cart.

He loaded her bags on to the cart and they headed to the car.

"I am so glad to be home. I'm going to sleep for days".

"Is there anything special you want to do while you're home?"  
"Spend time with you. Take a bubble bath. Lay in the sun".

"I think all that can be arranged".

He laced his hands through hers and kissed the back of her hand.

The drive from the airport was short, only about 25 minutes.

They walked in the house to find Max making his famous spaghetti and meatballs with a chopped salad, just the way Jennifer liked.

"Miss Edwards, so glad to see you!"

"Hi Max! It's great to see you too".

She gave him a big hug and then headed to change clothes.

Jonathan brought her bags into the bedroom, and she dug through them getting all her dirty clothes out.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"Man, I missed you".

She scratched his back some.

"I missed you too, darling".

"I have an idea, that would change things, for the better. Want to hear it?"

"Certainly".

He framed her face with his hands and kissed her passionately.

"Let's elope".


	26. Chapter 26

"Elope? What happened to us having a wedding with the dinner party crew and your office people in attendance?"

"Baby, all I know is that I don't want to spend another night without you. We can get married now and then figure out the rest later. I'll throw you the biggest party ever if that's what you want, but I just want us to be married".

"I want to marry you too. But Jonathan, we aren't spending nights apart because we aren't married-we are spending nights apart because of our careers. And once this book tour is over, I'll be back here with you every night. But us getting married right now isn't going to keep us from spending time apart".

"You're right. It was a silly idea".

"No it wasn't. it was a lovely idea, it's just not the right time, that's all. Plus, we only get one wedding day. And as much as I love you, I don't really want to get married someplace that herds people in like cattle. I want to experience it, I want it to be memorable, and a reflection of us".

She kissed him.

"Don't be mad, darling. It's just not the right time".

"I've waited a lifetime for you, and that includes the years I had given up. I can wait another few weeks, months, whatever it takes".

She kissed him several times and then they headed downstairs.

"Perfect timing you two. Dinner just finished".

"Wonderful. I'm famished".

"Me too".

"You didn't have to wait for me to get home to eat, darling. I would've understood".

"Oh that's alright. We had an office breakfast meeting and then I had a very late lunch".

Max lit them some candles and brought their plates to the table.

"Thanks Max".

"Thanks Max".

"Enjoy".

Max did the dishes while they ate.

She told him all about the book tour and the different cities and engagements.

"How is Meredith treating you?"

"Much better, actually. I think once the kinks got worked out, that helped a lot."

"So, what do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"I want to sleep longer than 5 a.m. I want to take a bubble bath, and I want to sit outside in the sun and just relax for a little bit".

"That sounds wonderful. I have a couple meetings at the office, but I should be home around the early afternoon".

"Wonderful".

She took their plates to the sink, and rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher.

Max came out of his room.

"Ok you two, I'll be back later. I hear a poker table calling my name".

"Good luck, Max".

"Have fun, Max".

As soon as they finished cleaning up the kitchen, they turned out the lights and headed to the bedroom.

She quickly changed into a nightgown and then put all her dirty clothes in the hamper.

Jonathan was in the bathroom changing into his pajamas.

"I'm so excited to sleep in our bed tonight".

"Not as excited as I am to have you sleep in our bed".

"I've only been gone 2 weeks, but it feels like I've been gone a month".

"Yeah, I know what you mean".

He came and climbed into bed beside her and they turned the news on. They managed to catch the tail end of the broadcast.

She nestled back against him and he rubbed her shoulders for a few minutes.

"Oh, that feels amazing".

He rubbed her shoulders for almost a half hour and really got all her knots out.

He kissed her neck a few times and then just wrapped his arms around her and held her.

"Darling, I was thinking the other day about something. Hear me out".

"Jonathan, if this is about my father again-"

"It's not. I promise".

"Ok, so what is it?"

"Well, after the book tour, you and I are going to be buying a house and planning a wedding, and I hope you want to stay here with me, and if you don't that's fine. But I was thinking, what if we pack up your apartment and move you in here so that you don't have to pay rent on a place you aren't staying at? I can hire a moving company and take care of it, if you want."

"Sure, I'd love that".

"Wonderful. I thought I was going to have to convince you".

"Jonathan, am I really that hard to talk to? We are getting married, darling. I was going to move out of there eventually".

"No you aren't hard to talk to. I just pictured you resisting the idea, that's all".

She turned around and kissed his chest.

"Do you have any other ideas?"

"I might. Want me to tell you about them?"

"No. Show me".

"You got it".

He reached up and turned out the light and then made mad, passionate love to her for a couple hours before they both crashed.

***The next morning***

Jonathan and Jennifer slept all night with their arms wrapped around each other.

When his alarm went off, he reached over and hit snooze and went right back to sleep.

Ten minutes later, he turned off the alarm clock and kissed her a few times and then got up and headed for the shower.

When he was ready to head to the office, he came and sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her a few times.

She woke up and reached for him.

"I love you. I'll be home soon".

"I love you too".

She kissed him again and then went back to sleep for a few hours.

He was home around 1:30. He came and found her in the bedroom. She was sitting on the bed folding laundry and watching tv.

"Hi".

"You're home! Hi".

She leaned over to kiss him.

"How was your meeting?"

"Good, actually. I closed a couple deals that I didn't think would ever get closed".

"Wonderful!"

"Darling, I know you only have a short time at home, but I was wondering. While you are home now, or while you are home later, what would you think about doing a book signing at the office?"

"I'm open to that".

"Good. So, I was thinking, what if I buy a certain number of books, and then everyone at the office can donate to our fundraiser, and when you donate, you get a book? If they want it personalized, they can donate, say $10 more, maybe. And all the proceeds will go to the Mission Street Orphanage".

"I'm open to that, but we will have to talk to Marcia. And really, let's do it at the end of the tour. I don't want to work on my vacation from the tour, darling".

"I completely agree with that".

He helped her fold the laundry, and then she got up and put it all away.

"I took off the rest of the week. What do you say I take you to dinner tonight and we take a lovely drive up the coast?"

"I would love that".

"Pack a bag in case we stay overnight".

"You got it, Mister".

She leaned over and kissed him again.

"When do you want to leave?"  
"As soon as we get packed".

She tossed a few things into a bag and then they headed out.

She grabbed a few wedding magazines to read in the car.

"How far up the coast are we talking?"

"Well, you get to pick. We can go to this amazing restaurant that's only an hour away with minimal coast driving, or we can go to this amazing restaurant that is 3 hours away with lots of coast driving".

"Up to you, darling".

"Ok, let's go to the one that's 3 hours away".

"Perfect".

She looked at her wedding magazines while they rode along, and asked him for input a few times.

"Darling, what do you think about us getting married in Napa valley?"

"Well, I like that idea, but we would have to arrange transportation for all our guests".

"Oh, this place looks nice. It's an old inn that has been converted into a wedding hall."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah, it looks absolutely gorgeous. Too bad it's out our price range".

"Who said we had a price range?"

"Darling, the bride's family typically pays for the wedding. And thanks to my father's attitude, I'm the family. And I cannot afford a $30,000 wedding".

"Jennifer, you aren't the only one getting married here. I'll pay whatever it costs, it's fine".

"Ok, well we need to set a budget, I suppose".

He laced his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand.

"Sky's the limit".

They discussed how expensive they wanted it to be, and while he did have a few limits on some things, he basically told her that money was no object.

By the time they got to the restaurant, she had basically picked out everything except music and flowers.

"How soon do you want to get married?"

"As soon as you do".

"Well, the tour will be over second week of April. So, how about the first week of June? Or the middle of May?"

"What about the end of May? Like May 18?"

"I love that".

They pulled up outside a hotel and parked and went inside.

After they were checked into their room, they had a few minutes to relax a little bit.

She settled on the bed and started making a list.

"Darling, I'm going to let you choose. And whatever you choose, I'll go along with, ok?"

"Ok".

"Do you want to get married early in the day, like 10 a.m.? Or would you rather get married later in the day, like 4 or 5 p.m.? If we did the morning one, our reception would have to be more low-key, and the food would be more brunch-style. If we did the other one, our reception could be more upscale, but the venue won't let us stay past 10".

"I say we go with the afternoon one, because you and I will be wanting to leave long before 10 anyways".

"Great point".

She made a few more notes and then filled him in.

"So, here's what we have so far. 4 or 5 p.m. wedding at the inn if we can book it on May 18. We have to use their caterer. I'm thinking the colors should be orchid and silver. And if they will let us, I want us to get married in the garden there and then have the reception inside."

"All of that sounds wonderful to me".

"Ok, so I will try to book it while I'm home".

"Why don't we stop and look at it on the way home tomorrow?"

"Yes, please".

Their room was on the ground floor and everyone had a private patio.

"Want to take a walk outside?"

"Certainly".

They linked hands and walked outside. They were at the very end of the floor, and had the biggest patio. Around the corner from their room was a private hot tub.

Off in the distance, they could see the ocean.

"This is so nice".

"Yeah, it's really pretty up here".

"Where are we?"

"We are in Paso Robles".

"I don't think I've ever been here".

They walked back inside and got ready for dinner.

Jennifer put on a hot pink strapless mini dress with a lopsided center bow, and some strappy black heels. Jonathan changed into a suit.

"Darling, is my tie straight?"

She stepped over to check it and adjusted it some.

"You look so handsome".

She leaned up and kissed him.

"You look so pretty".

"Well, thank you".

She kissed him again and then headed to freshen up her makeup.

"Our reservation is in 25 minutes".

"Ok, I'm ready".

She sprayed on some perfume and then grabbed her purse.

They held hands as they strolled through the lobby and out to the car.

Their restaurant was an elegant French restaurant and Jennifer absolutely fell in love with it.

They stuffed themselves on escargot and chicken Marengo, and split a bottle of chateau lafite.

Jonathan paid the check and they were gathering their things when the music started.

"How about a dance?"

"I'd be delighted".

They walked over to the dance floor and started to dance. They danced several dances and then decided to head back to the hotel.

They came into their room. Jennifer stood by the bed and kicked her shoes off.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"How about a dip in the hot tub?"

"What a wonderful idea".

She slipped out of her dress and into the green two-piece she had brought.

He slipped into his swim trunks while she got them two towels.

He opened the mini bar and got them some mini wine bottles, and they headed outside to the hot tub.

He helped her inside and then climbed in behind her.

He turned the jets on, and they both started to relax.

"Darling, what were some of Pam's favorites?"

"Favorites?"

"Yeah. Like her favorite flower, her favorite drink, things like that".

"I think her favorite flower was jasmine. She used to always have that growing in the backyard and she would cut some and put them in vases on the table. She also loved gardenias and pink azaleas. Her favorite drink was amaretto sours. She used to order those every time we went out."

He turned and looked at her.

"Why are you asking?"

"Well, I was just thinking that you have said before that you think she nudged us towards each other and I don't disagree with that. And I was thinking that it would be nice if we honored her in some way on our wedding day, and me incorporating her favorite flower would be an easy way to do that".

"I agree. I think out of kindness, we should invite the Chandler's to the wedding also".

"Absolutely".

She sat behind him and rubbed his shoulders for a bit.

She wrapped her legs around his waist to anchor herself and he ran his hands up and down her legs while she rubbed his back.

They switched after about 20 minutes and he gave her a deep tissue back rub that caused her to moan.

"Ohhhhh….I love your massages".

"Not as much as I love massaging you".

"Darling….when we get married, will you be ok with me just writing freelance?"

"Certainly. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's not that I'm not appreciative of the success of this book, but when we get married, I don't want to spend all this time away from you. And you can't do a book tour when you stay home".

"Well, we could work it out. I could come with you, you could only work Thursday-Sunday, things like that. I want you to do whatever you want to do, darling. If you don't want to work, you don't have to".

"I want to work, that's for sure. I just want to do it from home, with you."

"Well, we can arrange that".

She leaned back against him and he kissed the side of her cheek.

They soaked for a little longer and then went inside.

She changed into a short pink nightgown, and climbed into bed. He turned off the hot tub, and then changed into his silk pajama shorts and climbed into bed next to her.

She nestled up against him and started scratching his chest.

"Ok darling, let's figure this out. So, in a few days I'm going to continue the book tour and you are going to come out while you can. And when I have time I'll plan the wedding. Do you think you could find a real estate agent and see if they can help us find a house?"

"Yeah, I can do that. What kind of house do you have in mind?"

"My non-negotiables are large walk in closets, a large soaking tub in the master bath, spacious kitchen, spacious patio, and privacy. I also want the option to add a pool later".

He rolled on top of her.

"Whatever you want, it's yours".

"Really? Well, that could prove to be good or bad, Mr. Hart".

"Bad? How could that prove to be bad?"

"Well, if you spoil me, I could become difficult to live with. Because you see, there's one thing I want more than anything, and I cannot live without it".

"What's that?"

"You".

He leaned down and kissed her, as he settled on top of her.

He kissed her passionately as they furiously undressed each other at lightning speed.

He focused on her first, kissing her neck and then moving his kisses to her taut nipples.

She arched her back as he lightly nibbled on her breast. She reached down and squeezed his butt and then dragged her fingernails up the sides of his back.

He rapidly plunged himself inside of her, filling her with all of himself with each stroke.

He was kissing her neck while he sank himself inside of her over and over again.

"Don't hold back baby".

Jennifer got louder and more vocal and so did Jonathan.

"You feel so good, baby".

"So….do….you".

He picked up the pace, and she matched his hip motions with motions of her own.

"Ohhhh….."

They erupted into ecstasy at the same time. She tightened around him, hoping to make it last a little longer.

They shared several kisses as they came down from the euphoria.

He moved his kisses to her earlobe and nibbled a little.

"You found some new moves".

"I'm glad you liked them".

He leaned up on one elbow and rolled off her some.

"I just have one question. Where did you learn those moves?"

"Darling, I'm sorry. But I'm a writer and you know a writer never reveals her source".

"Let's compromise. I don't have to know where they came from, as long as you agree to do them for me from time to time".

"Oh, you sure know how to drive a hard bargain".

"Speaking of hard…"

She nodded. He pulled her close and rolled her over on top of him and they made love all over again.

***The next day***

Jonathan and Jennifer had been up till 3 making love and having the greatest sex of their lives, so they slept in till almost 11.

He woke up first and snuggled her a little tighter.

She scooted back towards him and rested her head on his shoulder.

They slept that way another half hour and then woke up for real.

An hour later, they were both showered, dressed and packed up.

They headed to the lobby to check out and decided to swing through a drive thru somewhere for coffee and brunch.

Jonathan loaded their bags into the car and then opened the door for her. He slid into the driver's seat and handed her his wallet.

"Can you put the receipt in my wallet while I get us out of the parking lot please?"  
"Certainly".

She glanced at the receipt.

"Darling, did you look at this?"

"Not closely, why?"

"They charged you for a few ridiculous things."

"Like what?"

"Well for starters, they charged you 4 times for a noise complaint. We weren't noisy".

He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

"We kind of were…"

She thought about it a moment and then blushed.

"Oh well, that was totally worth the $60 dollars."

"$60?!"

"Yes darling. $15.00 for each one".

"Want me to call and dispute it?"

"And say what, exactly?"

"That we were in the throes of passion, and that's what you do in hotels".

"Yeah, and then tomorrow morning, we can read all about our throes of passion in the paper".

"Good point".

He drove them through a drive thru and got them both a large coffee, and then they headed home.

Jennifer planned a little more of the wedding on the drive home and added things to her to-do list.

They stopped by her apartment and she grabbed a few things that she wanted to keep at his house. They headed to his house and pulled into the garage.

Max came out to meet them.

"Hi you two. Have a nice time?"

"Yes, we did".

"Miss Edwards, a lady named Marcia has been calling you. She said it's super urgent that you call her at your earliest convenience".

"Ok thank you".

She grabbed her bag and headed inside to call her.

Jonathan and Max settled in the living room and started playing gin.

About 20 minutes later, Jennifer came and joined them.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Marcia said that sales of my book have basically exploded and the publisher wants to add more dates to the book tour. So, now I'm going to be waking up super early, doing an engagement, flying somewhere, doing an engagement, flying to the next city, checking into the hotel and starting the process all over again".

"Will you still get to come home?"

"Yes, but only for 3 days next time, not 5. And the West Coast leg of the tour is now 3 times as long".

"That's wonderful. I'm so proud of you".

He leaned over to kiss her.

"I never dreamed that _Journeys of the Heart_ would be so successful. Marcia said the publisher asked her if I had started the sequel yet".

"Well have you?"

"I haven't even thought about it. I don't know what I would do with them in the next book".

He and Max finished their card game and then Max headed to the kitchen.

"Darling, we didn't go look at the venue. Can we do that tomorrow?"

"Sure. I have a meeting in the morning, but I should be free by lunch".

"Splendid".

She went and grabbed her laptop and settled into the recliner and started working while he turned on a basketball game.

About an hour later, the phone rang.

He reached over and picked it up.

"Hello? Sure, one second".

"Darling, it's for you. It's your aunt. She says she has bad news about your dad".


	27. Chapter 27

Jennifer got up and took the phone from Jonathan.

"Hello? Uh huh….I see…really? I mean, if you're sure….no I won't tell him…."

Jonathan got up and went and got a glass of water and then came back. Jennifer spoke to her aunt for about 20 minutes and then hung up.

"So how bad is it?"

"Not really bad at all. Seems he is holding steadfast to disowning me completely. There is an Edwards family trust that was set up by my great grandfather. My part comes to me when my father passes away. So, apparently, he called my aunt this morning and told her that he was having his lawyer draw up a document that gives her my part of the trust and removes me from it entirely. He also told her that when something happens to him, that his entire estate will go to her if she's still living, or to charity if not. She was just calling to tell me he said that, and then she said that if he goes through with it, she will have her lawyer do the same thing and have it revert back to me".

"Has he always been so unreasonable?"

"He's always been stubborn. But it got worse when Momma died and it never really got any better".

She sat back down and got back on her laptop.

About an hour later, Max came and told them dinner was ready, so she took a break and joined him for dinner.

"Spaghetti lasagna, garlic bread and salad. Oh and Miss Edwards, I made some of that special sweet tea you like".

"Thanks Max".

They had a nice, quiet dinner and just enjoyed being together.

She did the dishes and he helped her.

"Darling, want to watch a movie in bed tonight?"

"Certainly".

As they climbed into bed, they were planning their day for tomorrow.

"I'm going to go to my apartment and pack up all the stuff I don't want someone else to pack for me and bring it here. And then I'm going to work on planning the wedding and hopefully I'll be able to write a few articles as well".

"I have a meeting in the morning but I should be home early afternoon. Maybe after dinner tomorrow night, you and I can take a walk on the beach?"

"Oh, that sounds heavenly".

"So how long till you get to be home next time?"

"2 weeks. I'll be in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota this time".

"Well, maybe I can reschedule some things and fly out to join you".

"That would be lovely".

He wrapped an arm around her waist and she laced her fingers through his.

About ½ way through the movie he got up to go get them dessert.

Just before he came back, Jennifer heard this really loud crash.

"Ow!"

She got up and ran to the kitchen.

"Darling, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I think so."

She helped him up off the floor.

"What happened?"

"The light fixture fell out of the ceiling and hit me in the head".

"Just on its own fell out?"

"Yeah".

She stood behind him and felt his head.

"You have a nice sized lump back here. Maybe I should take you to the hospital".

"No, no, no. I don't want to do that. Just an ice pack will be fine".

She quickly made him an ice pack and they headed to the bedroom.

He used the bedroom phone to call the landlord and left a message about what happened.

He got settled back into bed and Jennifer put the ice pack on his head.

"Here's your ice cream, darling".

"Want to feed it to me?"

"Sure".

She fed him several bites and then leaned over and kissed him.

"Mmm. Chocolate".

She fed him the rest of the bowl and then put it on the nightstand. She fed him a few spoonfuls of her ice cream and took a few spoonsfuls for herself.

She gave him the last bite and then put the bowl over on the nightstand.

She got up and went and changed into a nightgown and came back to bed.

"Ok, let's have a look".

He leaned forward and she took off the ice pack and looked at his head.

"Maybe a few more minutes".

"Darling, there's one more place that needs your attention".

"Oh? Where's that?"

"My bottom lip. It feels a little funny. Can you check it out? I think it needs some pressure on it".

"Oh, you think so? Like this?"

She leaned over and kissed him for several minutes and nibbled on his lip some.

"Would you take it easy? You're gonna melt my ice cubes".

She reached up and turned out the light.

"That's exactly what I'm counting on".

***The next morning***

Jennifer got up with Jonathan and got ready.

They had a lovely breakfast together, and then they headed to the garage.

He opened her door for her.

"I love you, have a good day".

"I love you too. Good luck with your meeting".

"I'll be home right afterwards".

He gave her several kisses and then went and got in his car.

She spent a few hours at her apartment packing up her personal items that she didn't want anyone else to pack for her, and then loaded it all up into the car.

She had just pulled out of the parking lot when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi gorgeous. My meeting is over and I'm heading home".

"My packing is done and I'm heading home also".

"How about I pick up lunch for us? How about a Hawaiian chicken bowl?"

"Yes please, with a sweet tea".

"You got it. I'll be home soon, I love you".

"I love you too".

She blew him a kiss and hung up, and a few minutes later, pulled into the garage.

She had unloaded the car by the time he was home. All her boxes fit perfectly in the guest room. He found her in the bedroom hanging up clothes in the closet.

"Baby, you in here?"

"Yeah, in here".

"Hi".

"Hi". He came over and kissed her.

"Landlord called. He's going to be here to fix the light in about an hour".

"Wonderful. Can we go look at the venue today?"

"Sure".

They went and had a nice lunch, and then headed to see the venue.

It was about 45 minutes away from their house, and it was set back on an absolutely gorgeous piece of property.

Jennifer fell in love with the garden and the courtyard and the reception hall as well.

Everything was light and airy, and beautifully decorated.

"Can we do a walk-through?"

"What do you mean?"

"Darling, you can't see me on that day till I come down the aisle. So, I want to make sure that when I get here I will know where to go and all that, so there won't be any accidents".

"Good idea".

The attendant ran through it all with them.

"Ok, so you come in the front door. Groom's suite is to the right, bridal suite is to the left. There are bathrooms in each suite, plus your guests will be able to use these bathrooms in the foyer as well. If you are getting married outside, your guests will come through this door and go straight out to the garden. If the ceremony is inside, they will go through that door into the great room. When the ceremony ends, if it's outside, they can come straight inside to the reception in the great room. If it's inside, they will be asked to come out to the foyer to wait while we switch the rooms over."

"I love that. I think I want to do an outside wedding, what do you think darling?"

"I like that."

"Ok, so here's the thing. We only do one wedding a day, for the most part. Sometimes we will do a morning wedding and an evening one, but that's very rare. If that happens, we reserve the right to remove some of the décor in order to accommodate both weddings. You get the venue for 5 hours total plus the use of the suites for a couple hours before the wedding. Therefore, if you are having a 4 p.m. wedding, you cannot get here till 2 p.m, and you must have all music turned off by 10, and you have to leave by 11".

"Can I book the venue for the whole day?"

"Certainly. That will cost extra, but we can accommodate that".

"Let's do that".

"Are there any restrictions?"

"Yes, you have to use our chair rental company for the tables and chairs, and those cannot be selected more than 1 month prior to the wedding. As far as catering and alcohol, we have a list of about 20 companies that we allow on site. Flowers, entertainment, bar staff, you are responsible for that. And there is a cleaning fee as well, built into the price. If you choose to do a wedding toss, it cannot be anything that cannot be swept or vacuumed up. Nothing sticky, like silly string or shaving cream. Bubbles are fine, provided they are outside only."

"I can agree to all of that".

They signed the papers and paid the deposit.

As they left, she dug her list out of her purse and started to cross things off.

She was deep in thought and he just let her collect her thoughts.

They pulled up to the house and headed inside.

Max was waiting for them in the kitchen.

"Mr. H. Bad news. The light fell because there is a busted pipe in the ceiling. Gonna take several weeks to fix. In fact, he cannot even start on it for 2 more weeks".

"Dang. So we have to live without light in here for that long?"

"Fraid' so. And nobody can use the upstairs guest bath for any reason because that's where the leak is".

"Well, we will just have to make the best of it".

"I went to the hardware store and got a couple construction lights and rigged those up. If you don't mind me saying so, I think they work just as well as the other".

He flipped the switch to show them.

"Perfect Max".

"Yeah, great job, Max".

"Where did you two disappear to?"

"We went and booked our wedding venue. We will be getting married at the California Inn and Vineyard in Morningside, on May 20th".

"Sounds wonderful".

They headed to the living room and Jonathan turned on the news.

"Ok, so we need to figure out-do we want a judge or a minister?"

"I'm fine with either".

"I am too. If we go with a minister, we can personalize it more than if we did a judge".

"I like that".

"Darling, I don't think I want any attendants. I think I just want it to be you and me up there".

"I'm ok with that".

It took them a couple hours, but they had the whole wedding planned. They just needed to find a minister, pick a time, pick out invites and make a guest list.

Jennifer decided to focus on finding the vendors tomorrow.

They laid around till dinner was ready, and then headed to the closest beach to take a walk.

They walked a long way and he carried her on his back some. Afterwards, they came back home and just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Max had just brought the mail in.

"Mail for you, Miss Edwards. And here's some for you, Mr. H."

"Thanks Max".

Jennifer opened hers and found a check from her insurance company for her car.

"Finally".

She showed it to him.

"Not bad."

"Darling, I'm going to sign this over to you and I want you to put it in the wedding fund".

"Ok, it's a deal".

He had received a check as well. He showed it to her.

"Wow, that's a pretty nice policy. I hope we can get a policy that generous on whatever home we purchase".

"Yeah, me too".

"We are going to watch a movie in bed, Max. We'll see you tomorrow".

"Night you two".

They headed to bed and changed into their pajamas.

"Darling, what song do you want to dance to at our wedding?"

"Well, there is one song that always makes me think of you. It's by James Taylor, 'How Sweet It is To Be Loved by You'"

"Oh, I love that song! We should dance to that song for sure".

He climbed into bed while she finished washing her face.

He was flipping through the channels when he got to the music channels. A few seconds later, that song came on.

She turned out the bathroom lights and walked into the bedroom.

He held his arms out to her and they danced for a few minutes.

"Darling, I know I've been driving you crazy with all this wedding talk. I'm sorry".

"You aren't driving me crazy. We have to plan it. And when you aren't here, I'm going to wish that you were, so I'm just trying to enjoy it, whatever it looks like".

She leaned up and kissed him.

"You know what I love the most about our relationship? That we talk. A lot of couples don't do that. But you and I do, and you always listen to me and we've gotten better at explaining ourselves to each other and listening to the other person".

He picked her up and spun her around.

They settled into bed and then she nestled up against him.

"Darling, what's your favorite part about our relationship?"

"Well, really and truly, it's that we have one. When Pam died, for a very long time, I believed that I had had my shot and that I had blown it and that nobody would ever love me again. And I also believed that I didn't deserve it either. So just the fact that we are together is my favorite, because my relationship with you is better than I could have ever dreamed".

"Oh honey, that's beautiful. And it breaks my heart to think that you thought you didn't deserve to be loved. Everyone deserves that, in some form or another".

She leaned over and kissed him.

He held her while they watched the movie and she eventually fell asleep on his shoulder.

He kissed her goodnight, and leaned up and turned out the light. He managed to get the covers over her and then turned the tv off.

***The next day***

Jennifer woke up to find that Jonathan had already left for the office.

He had left her a love note on his pillow.

"You are so beautiful when you sleep, baby. I can't wait to watch you sleep for the rest of our lives. Lunch today? Call Deanne and tell her yes. I love you".

She smiled and glanced at the clock. 9:35.

She picked up the phone and called his office.

"Hello?"

"Funny, you don't sound like Deanne".

"Hi darling. She's on the other line".

"Yes to lunch".

"Wonderful. Meet me at L'Orangerie, at say….11:15?"

"Sure. See you then. I love you".

"I love you too".

She got up and got ready and then went and made a few appointments with some wedding vendors.

She pulled up to L'Orangerie right on time.

Jonathan was waiting at their table for her.

"Hi darling".

"Hi beautiful".

He stood up to kiss her.

"How long do you have?"

"Well, I have about an hour and a half now. But that's why I asked to see you for lunch. I have a meeting tonight that was rescheduled from next week, and it's going to run pretty long. I won't be home for dinner and I might not even be home by 10".

"Oh no. Are you sure you have to work that long?"

"Yeah, I'm positive. But, since I am, I am taking off all day tomorrow".

"Wonderful. What are you going to do about dinner?"

"Oh, I'll figure something out. I'll probably order us a spread from a deli, or maybe pizzas for everyone".

"I hate that you will be working so late."

"Yeah, me too. But it has to be done".

They had a nice lunch and then he walked her to the car.

"I love you, I'll be home as soon as I can, I promise".

"I love you too".

She gave him several kisses.

"I'll keep a warm spot for you, I promise".

"You're the greatest".

He kissed her again and then she got in the car and left.

She started with the florist first, and got that squared away. They agreed to come and do several tall arrangements on the stage that she and Jonathan would be standing on, plus centerpieces and a bouquet for her and a boutonniere for Jonathan. She also wanted a few arrangements for the different tables around the room.

She paid them and then headed to her next appointment. It took her a few tries, but she finally found the wedding dress she was looking for. It was absolutely stunning and everyone in the store was staring at her.

She bought it and took it home and immediately put it upstairs in the guest room closet.

She came back downstairs and sat down with her laptop. She started making Jonathan a honey-do list.

"Miss Edwards, I made dinner. It's in the fridge. It just needs to be grilled. I'm headed to the track, so when Mr. H. gets home, he can grill it. Tell him I got the grill all ready, he just has to light it".

"Oh, he won't be home for dinner. He has a very late meeting."

"Oh, ok. Well he and I can have it tomorrow night. You gonna be ok here by yourself?"

"Yeah, Max. I'll be fine".

"Ok, I'll see you later".

"Bye, have fun".

She spent the evening working on her articles and jotting down ideas for a sequel, if there was going to be one.

She slipped out to pick up dinner around 7. When she got back in the car, it started making a sputtering sound.

She pulled to the side of the road and popped the hood. A big flume of smoke came out from under the hood.

She got back in the car and started to cry.

She picked up the phone and called Jonathan, but he didn't answer.

When she looked up again, she saw Hart Industries was only two blocks away.

She locked the car and grabbed her purse and her dinner and walked the two blocks to his office.

She made her way to the elevator and up to his floor.

He saw her through the windows of the conference room.

"Excuse me gentlemen, I'll be right back. Stanley, take notes, will ya?"

"Certainly, Mr. Hart".

He met her in the hallway.

"I'm so sorry to bother you. But I was driving and the Mercedes started sputtering and I barely got it pulled over on the shoulder. It's two blocks from here. I was wondering, can you call a tow truck and give me your keys? I'll come back and pick you up tonight, I promise".

"Sure. But you don't have to come back and get me. I'll use the car service".

He handed her his keys.

"Darling, did the car have gas in it?"

"Oh yes, I filled it up this afternoon."

"Ok, I'll take care of it. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just aggravated. Did you all eat?"

"Yeah, we did. I love you, I gotta get back in there".

"I love you too".

She gave him a quick kiss and then headed for his car.

He grabbed the nearest phone and called a tow truck to come tow the Mercedes.

Jennifer got home about 30 minutes later, and heated up her tacos and ate them in front of the tv.

She was barely awake when she heard him come in.

"Hi".

"Hi".

He came over and kissed her.

"I had the car towed to the Mercedes dealership. After talking to the tow truck driver, I think it's the transmission".

"I hope it can be fixed".

He quickly got ready for bed and came and joined her.

She felt him relax as he took her in his arms.

"I love you, I'm glad you're still awake".

"Me too".

"Darling, I've been making you a list. Now, while I'm gone, you're going to have to find a DJ, and a baker who can make our cake. I printed off some pictures of what I want it to look like. I just need you to pick one and book it. And taste the cake, darling. Make sure it's moist, but not too moist. You also need to hire bartenders. I paid for the florist today, and I'll start trying to figure out invites".

He kissed her cheek.

"It will be ok, darling, I promise".

"I hate that I have to go away again right in the middle of wedding planning".

"Yeah, me too. But I'll fly out to see you, and it will be over before you know it".

"I hope so".

She shifted her weight and buried her head in his neck and started kissing his neck and shoulder.

He returned her kisses and made love to her for a couple hours before they both fell asleep. Jennifer dreamed of her mother, all night long. In her dream, her mother was just nodding her head and smiling. And every time her father entered the scene, she glared at him.


	28. Chapter 28

***Two days later***

Jennifer was in their room, packing. She had to be at the airport in 4 hours. Jonathan was supposed to come home from the office to take her to the airport.

She was packing a lot less this time around, even though she was packing two outfits a day for two weeks.

She had all her bags downstairs and was finishing Jonathan's honey-do list when he got home.

"Hi baby".

"Hi honey".

She leaned up to kiss him.

"All my luggage is packed, and ready. Max headed to Vegas for a poker tournament about an hour ago. He said he won't be back for a week, so I made you some freezer meals. They are all labeled with the instructions, darling. All you have to do is heat them up like it says".

He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Wonderful".

He kissed her cheek.

"How about a cocktail?"

"Sure".

He took her hand and led her to the living room and over to the bar. He made them both a cocktail and then they sat on the couch.

"I'm really going to miss you".

"I'm going to miss you too".

He set his cocktail down on the end table.

"Darling, we have the house to ourselves and we still have 3 hours till you have to be at the airport".

He leaned over and started kissing her neck.

"What a good idea".

They made love on the couch, and spent a few minutes just kissing and holding each other.

Finally they got up and got dressed and he drove her to the airport.

She met Marcia and Meredith outside the Delta terminal.

"We will meet you at the gate, here's your ticket".

"Thank you".

She turned to Jonathan.

"I love you, I'll call you when I land".

"I love you too. I hate that you have to go. I'll try and come fly to you next weekend".

"Sounds good".

She gave him several kisses.

"I love you, all my heart".

"I love you, all my heart".

He kissed her again.

When she started to walk away, he pulled her back.

"One more".

She gave him another kiss and then started to walk away again.

He pulled her back.

"One more".

"A thousand kisses upon your head."

She kissed him.

"I'd rather have a thousand of your kisses on my-"

"Jonathan!"

He smirked at her and kissed her.

"I love you, have a safe flight".

"I love you too, even though you're impossible".

She kissed him once more with enough passion to make his head spin.

When she broke the kiss, he had a glazed look on his face.

"That should hold you for two weeks. I love you, I'll call you tonight".

He watched her walk into the airport and then went back to the car.

***A week later***

Jennifer didn't know which end was up. The days were running together and if she wasn't signing books, she was taking pictures, and if she wasn't taking pictures, she was being interviewed. She barely had had 5 minutes to herself in 5 days and it was beginning to wane on her.

She and Marcia were in Kansas. They had just finished a book signing at a bookstore and now they were headed to the airport to fly to Colorado.

All she wanted to do was get to her hotel so she could call Jonathan.

She sent him a text while they rode to the airport.

' _I love you. Headed to the airport. Will land in Colorado in about 3 hours. Will call you from the hotel'._

A few seconds later, he responded.

' _I love you too. Working on the list. Tasted the cake today-strawberry ok? It was the only one that had any flavor, including chocolate. Can't wait till we talk'._

Marcia was filling her in on the schedule for tomorrow.

"We are due at the library at 10, so we are leaving the hotel by 9:30, and this event is scheduled to last 3 hours. You will get a 2 hour break and then we have to be at the bookstore tomorrow night from 4-7, and then we will head to the airport and fly to the other end of the state".

"Wonderful".

"I spoke with Leslie at the publishing office today. She said the sales have already doubled from last week. You are a sensation, Jennifer. I cannot tell you how many media requests I've gotten, and not just local ones, but big ones, like the Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News".

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. When we go to New York, we are going to have a couple days of nothing but media interviews."

"That sounds interesting".

"So, how is the wedding planning coming?"

"Limping along. I found my dress and booked the florist and the venue before I left, and Jonathan is having to do some of it. I left him a list of things to do, like find a baker, pick a DJ, things like that".

"Did you set a date?"

"Yes, we did. May 20th", in California. We are getting married at the California Inn and Vineyard in Morningside".

"Oh, that's a gorgeous place. I've never stayed the night there, but it's very nice".

She picked up dinner in the airport and managed to eat about half of it on her flight.

About an hour after they landed, she was finally in her hotel.

She locked the door, quickly undressed, and ran a bubble bath.

She grabbed a towel, and then grabbed her cellphone and called Jonathan.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Hi darling".

"Hi. Did I wake you?"  
"No, you didn't wake me. I was just watching the news".

"Good. I wish I was cuddled up next to you".

"Yeah, that would be nice".

"So what flavors of cake did you try?"

"Almond, strawberry, white, lemon, chocolate. I promise you, the strawberry was the only one that tasted good".

"I'm ok with strawberry cake".

"Wonderful. And she said she can definitely do the design you want and I picked out a couple cake toppers for you to approve and decide on. As long as we get the one we want to her by the Wednesday before the wedding, we should be ok".

"Splendid."

"How was the book signing?"

"Packed. Standing room only. I think I signed "Happiness, Jennifer Edwards" about 3000 times".

"Darling, the realtor called. There's a couple houses she wants us to look at. I told her you weren't here, and she said we can hook up a video phone and do it that way. So, tomorrow, call Deanne and give her the name of the hotel you will be at next Tuesday, and I'll have her send it there and have it waiting on you".

"Ok, that sounds good".

They chatted a little longer and then she put him down and put him on speaker while she was drying off.

"What are you doing, you sound far away?"

"I just got out of the bath and I'm drying off."

"Darling, do you think from now on you could stay in hotels that have cameras?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha".

"Can't blame a guy for trying".

She slipped a nightgown on and picked the phone back up.

"Ok, I'm back. I'm about to head to bed, darling. I'm beat. I love you".

"I love you too. I'll call you in the morning".

"Ok sounds good. Sweet dreams".

"Only if you're in them. Goodnight, darling".

"Goodnight".

She hung up the phone and climbed into bed, wishing he was with her.

***The next morning***

Jennifer woke up and immediately texted Jonathan.

' _Good morning, I love you. I will be in Montana this weekend, Friday night and most of Saturday. Want to come join me?'_

She got in the shower and got dressed, and then decided to go downstairs to the lobby restaurant for breakfast.

She was ready when Marcia and Meredith came down and joined her.

"Jennifer, we have a box of books that you will need to sign before the event tonight."

"Ok, sounds good".

She checked her phone. Still no response from Jonathan.

She headed to the library for the first engagement. This was more of a meet and greet, informal chat session with Jennifer. It was standing room only. They asked her questions about the process of writing a book and other aspects of it.

"Is this book based on a real love story?"

"Not as far as my life goes. I imagine it could have happened like this for someone, but it didn't happen like this for me".

After the engagement was over, Jennifer and Marcia and Meredith headed to a little Mexican restaurant and had lunch before returning to the hotel.

As soon as she came into her hotel room, she called Jonathan.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Remember me?"

"Hi."

"I sent you a text this morning, you didn't respond. What gives?"

"Jennifer, I'm very busy. I'm up to my eyeballs in this acquisition and I don't know if I'll be able to come to Montana this weekend".

"I see".

"I have a meeting that's about to start, but I'm going to transfer you to Deanne. She's been doing some of the wedding tasks on the lists you left me and-"

"She's what?! Jonathan! She shouldn't be the one doing those things!"

"Jennifer, I'm too busy to do them, and she is wonderful at helping out".

"It doesn't matter! Our wedding is supposed to be a reflection of you and me, not me and your secretary".

"I highly doubt that our guests will be looking at the DJ and saying "Oh, I bet his secretary picked him out".

"Jonathan, you know what I mean! I cannot believe you had her do this. What has she done so far?"

"She has picked the DJ, she has picked the caterer, and she has put together a few choices for invitations".

"I see."

"Why?"

"Just wanted to know what she had done so I can undo it".

"That's not fair. And it's also not necessary".

"Oh, it's definitely necessary. What's not fair is you delegating your responsibility to your secretary."

"Look, I don't want to argue with you. And like I said, I have to get to this meeting. I love you, I'll call you tonight and we can work this out then".

"I love you too".

She hung up and immediately changed into some lounge clothes.

She headed downstairs to the gym and ran 8 miles on the treadmill, and then headed back upstairs to her room to shower and get ready for the bookstore.

She had just finished signing all the books when Marcia knocked on her door.

"Hi, ready to go?"  
"Yeah, I think so. These books are done, they just need to be packed into this box."

She stepped into the bathroom to freshen up her makeup.

"Ok, I'm taking this box downstairs, and I'll meet you in the lobby".

"Sounds good, I'm right behind you".

As she was leaving her hotel room, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey it's me. I'm sorry for the way we left things earlier, and I just wanted to tell you-"

"Jonathan, I can't talk to you right now. I'm headed to a book signing. We will have to talk later".

She hung up before he could tell her loved her.

***Later that night***

Jennifer came back from her book signing and packed her things and headed straight to the airport.

After they landed, they headed straight to the hotel. Jennifer was absolutely starving so she called and ordered dinner to be delivered and then changed into her nightgown.

She turned her phone on and saw that Jonathan had called.

She quickly called him back.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"Hi, I've been trying to reach you for an hour".

"I was on a flight. We just landed and now I'm at the hotel."

"Have a good flight?"  
"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. I was in coach, but I was at the front of coach and it wasn't a full flight so I had an entire row to myself."

"That's great".

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure".

"Can you text me the names of the DJ and the Caterer that Deanne picked? I want to make sure I cancel them before we owe them any money".

"Why would you cancel them? It's possible that she made good choices".

"She shouldn't have been making choices at all".

"Jennifer, she was picking a DJ and a caterer based off the menu choices. It's not like she was picking out our monograms or writing our vows".

"It should still be choices that you and I are making, Jonathan. Not someone else".

"Fine. I will have her cancel the bookings, and you can make all the choices".

"And just when do you expect me to do that, Jonathan? I'm doing two or more engagements a day. I'm lucky to find 10 seconds to myself each day, if that."

"And I'm trying to run a company, I'm trying to complete some big deals so that you and I can focus on ourselves for a little bit when you finally come home and I'm treading water. I'm also trying to buy us a house and move you out of your apartment and into my house. You think you're the only one that's busy? Think again".

"If you weren't willing to help with the planning, you should have said so from the very beginning".

"I didn't say I wasn't willing. I said I don't have time".

"Fine. So, you are working this weekend, are you going to be able to stay out of the office next weekend when I'm home?"

"I have no idea right now. If the Babcock merger goes through, then it's possible".

"Why don't we table this and do it together when I'm home?"

"I'm open to that".

"Good."

"Do you still want her to cancel the bookings?"

"No, I want to look at them myself and decide if we are going to keep them. But no more delegating to your secretary".

"Ok, I will agree to that".

They chatted a little longer and then hung up and Jennifer headed to bed.

***4 days later***

Jennifer was in North Dakota. She had 3 engagements to get through and then she would be home with Jonathan for a few days.

She had just gotten up and gotten out of the shower when she heard her phone go off.

"I love you. Call me-Jonathan".

She got dressed and headed down to breakfast with Marcia.

She sat down at the table and ordered.

She intended on calling Jonathan but Meredith insisted on going over that day's activities instead.

It was another hour before she could find a few minutes to contact him.

No answer. She hung up and called his office phone.

"Hello, Hart Industries, how may I help you?"

"Hi, this is Jennifer. Is Jonathan available?"

"I'm sorry Miss Edwards, he's in a meeting. Want me to have him call you?"

"Please, thank you".

She hung up and focused on her book signing. In the middle of it, her phone started ringing. She handed it to Meredith.

"Take a message please".

About 2 hours later, her book signing was over and they were headed to the hotel for a couple hours.

"Meredith, can I have my phone please?"

"Oh yes, it's right here. And Jonathan was the caller, and he wants you to call him".

"Thank you".

She walked into her hotel room and kicked her shoes off and called him.

"Hi Miss Edwards, he just stepped into another meeting. I'll tell him you called".

"Thank you. Can you tell him I will be finished with my book signing at 8, and available to talk after 9?"

"Certainly".

"Thank you".

She hung up and laid down on the bed to relax a few minutes.

Before she knew it, it was time to head to the next book signing.

The evening went by in a blur. By 8:30, she was absolutely exhausted and couldn't wait to climb into bed.

She grabbed her phone and sent Jonathan a text.

" _I love you, I'm headed to the hotel to grab my things and then we are headed to the airport. When we land in South Dakota tonight, I'll call you"._

3 hours later, she had landed in South Dakota and was in a cab headed to the hotel.

As soon as she got into her room, she changed clothes and called him.

"Hello?"

"Hi".

"Hi…where are you now?"

"South Dakota, I think. All these places are starting to look the same".

"I bet. Darling, I have to tell you something".

"What is it?"

"I bought us a house today".


	29. Chapter 29

"You did what?!"

"I bought us a house. Baby, just hear me out. We need more space, this house isn't cutting it. And I told the realtor what my non-negotiables were and what your non-negotiables are, and she found a house that fit that exactly and actually surpasses any expectations that I had for us. And I had to act quickly because she said it wasn't going to last on the market very long".

"You bought a house without asking me my opinion? You're kidding right? This is a joke?"

"I tried to ask you your opinion. But you and I were never able to speak to each other on the phone at the same time. I had to act fast".

"Jonathan, remember that conversation we had where you said you didn't know if I wanted to be involved in the house hunting and I politely but sternly reminded you that I deserve to have a say in the house that we choose to spend our lives in?"

"Yes, I remember".

"What happened to that?"

"Nothing happened to it. We just had to act fast, baby, that's all".

"Obviously something did, you bought a house without me!"

"Look, just come home and if you don't like it, we'll sell it".

"You had no right to buy a house without me, Jonathan".

"Well, if you were home, you could have participated, Jennifer. I'm doing a lot of things without you lately".

"Oh, I see what this is. You resent me for going on the book tour. All those times you said you were proud of me, you really weren't. In reality, you were resentful. And now the conversation at the inn makes sense. Of course you don't mind if I work from home, because I'll be there to answer to your every beck and call, is that it?"

"Jennifer, this is ridiculous".

"No it isn't. If it was, you wouldn't have made that completely asinine statement".

"Ok, I take it back. I'm sorry. Look, why don't we think about this and talk about it in person when you get home?"

"Yeah, it sounds to me like you have a lot of thinking to do".

"Baby, come on. Let's not fight".

"I cannot believe you had the audacity to buy a house for us without consulting me, Jonathan. Are you crazy? How did you expect me to react?"

"We will talk about it when you get home".

"Fine. I'm going to bed. Goodnight".

She hung up before he could say anything.

***2 days later***

Jennifer was in a cab, on her way to Jonathan's house.

She had changed her flight and didn't tell him when she was coming home.

She paid the cab driver, and grabbed her bags and walked inside.

"Miss Edwards, wonderful to see you!"

"Hi Max! Great to see you too".

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Where's Jonathan?"

"He's at a business dinner. Should be home any minute".

"Great".

She headed to the bedroom and quickly unpacked and then came out and started a load of laundry.

She had just slipped into her pajamas when he came in.

"Hi".

"Hello".

He came over and kissed her.

"I would have picked you up at the airport".

"It's ok. I took a cab".

"Have you been here long?"

"About 20 minutes".

She climbed in bed and got the pillows like she wanted them.

Without a word, he went and changed into his pajamas and then came back and joined her.

"How long are you home this time?"

"4 days".

"So, tomorrow, what if I call the realtor and see if she can let us look at the house?"

"What's the point? You already bought it without considering my opinion, why start now?"

"Come on Jennifer, don't be like that."

"Just stating the facts."

"Do you really think I resent your success?"

"I'm not the one who said that, you are".

"I never said that. I would never say that, because it's not true. I do not resent you".

"If I recall correctly, you were in agreement with me going on the book tour Jonathan. If you didn't want me to go, you should have spoken up then".

"I did want you to go. I do want you to go, Jennifer. And yes, I did mean it when I said I was proud of you, because I am. I am insanely proud of you. I love you, you know that".

"Well, something in this relationship isn't working. I don't want to fight with you, but it seems that's all we do. And it's all because you keep making dumb decisions without consulting me first".

"Look, I have an idea. What if we postpone the wedding and all the wedding planning till after your book tour? And my original offer still stands-we can go look at the house and if you don't like it, which I'm positive won't be the case, I'll sell it and we will find a house we both love together".

"Jonathan, I don't want to postpone the wedding. I don't think that's the answer".

"Well, we've tried it where I'm planning it while you're gone, and that didn't work. You stated you don't have time to plan it. There aren't any other options baby."

"I don't want to talk anymore, let's just get some sleep".

He reached up and turned out the light and then wrapped his arms around her.

As soon as she could tell he was asleep, she eased out from under his arms and went and slept in the guest room.

***The next morning***

Jennifer was up early. Jonathan found her in the kitchen having coffee when he got up.

She poured him a cup and then took hers to the patio.

"Morning".

"Morning".

He came and sat next to her.

They were both quiet for a few minutes.

Finally, she turned to him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me whatever you want, you know that".

"Why did you want to marry me? What made you feel that way?"

"I just realized that I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life without you. And that if I'm that in love with you, marriage is the next logical step".

"Ok, so what changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why do you feel differently? You stated last night you want to cancel the wedding, so obviously something has changed".

"I don't want to cancel the wedding. I want more than anything to be married to you. I mean postpone it, as in pick a different day".

She looked away from him and wiped a tear away.

He wrapped his arms around her and tried to comfort her.

"Is that why you left the bed last night? You think I don't want to marry you?"

She nodded.

"You knew I left the bed?"

"I woke up and you were gone, I thought you might be in the bathroom. When I woke up again about an hour later, and you were still gone, I figured you went to sleep somewhere else. I had no idea you were thinking I didn't love you anymore or that I don't want to be married to you".

"I miss the days where we were happy to talk to each other, so much. I miss the butterflies you used to give me when you dropped by my apartment".

"Yeah, I miss us being happy too. We need to figure out how to get back to that".

"I think I'm going to call Marcia and cancel the rest of the book tour. This is too taxing on me physically, mentally, emotionally, all of it."

"Baby, don't do that. You deserve all the success. You wrote the book for the people who read it, they deserve to meet you and tell you they like it. We can figure this out, but don't cancel your book tour. I don't think the tour is the cause of all of this".

"I'm not usually like this".

"Like what?"

"This…this….all over the place about a guy. I mean, before I met you, if someone made me this upset, I would have just left, it would have been over. But with you, I don't want to do it that way. I don't want to lose you, I love you more than anything. I want to work this out, I just have no idea how to do so".

"Baby, we went from seeing each other a couple times a week to seeing each other several times a week to spending every night together. Then we got engaged and if we weren't living together before, we certainly were then. And then we separated ourselves for 2 weeks. You came home for a week, then went back away again, and this time, you're doing double the work you did the first time. You're tired, baby. I can see it in your eyes. You're exhausted, you don't know what end is up. It was inevitable that we would have an argument at some point".

"I just want us to be happy and to get along and to not make major decisions without the other's input".

He took her hand and led her inside and poured himself another cup of coffee.

"How about an omelet?"

She nodded.

She cut up veggies while he cut up the meats and quickly cooked them.

"Off the top of my head, call Marcia. Tell her to cancel your plane reservations for the rest of the tour. I will call Jack, he can fly us from place to place, and Marcia and Meredith are welcome to fly with us if they want. I will conduct my meetings in the hotel by phone while you are at your book signings, if I have to. And I will put Stanley in charge for the rest of them. 3 weeks, baby. We can do anything for three weeks".

"I love that plan. And I love you more than anything".

She leaned up to kiss him and then went and called Marcia.

Right when their omelets were ready, she came back in the kitchen.

"She was agreeable. I also got her to agree to not book two engagements in one day unless absolutely necessary."

"Good. See, we are figuring this out".

"Now, what about the wedding and the house?"

"Well, as far as the DJ and the caterer, and the marriage license and the minister and the invitations, I think I can do all that while I'm home this time. As far as the house, ok fine. I'll go look at it".

"Thank you, that's all I'm asking".

Max came in then.

"Good morning love birds".

"Hi Max".

"Morning".

"You two gonna be around for dinner tonight? I have a poker game but I can put something together before I go".

"Sure, why not?"

"Sounds good to me".

"Miss Edwards, my poker friends were wondering if you would mind signing a few books to them? I told them all about you and they all said they would love a book. I told them fair was fair, you pay for the book and then she signs. They agreed".

"Sure Max, I'm happy to do that".

They finished their omelets and then Jennifer headed to take a shower.

She was just about to get out when the shower door opened.

"Jonathan!"

"Mind if I join you?"

He stepped in the shower.

"Max might hear us".

"He just left for the track, and I gave him money to bet on a race that will take place after his so he will be gone a while".

"You're so clever".

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Did you already soap your back?"

"Yeah, but you can do it again".

"With pleasure".

He leaned down to kiss her as he took the soap in one hand and soaped her back.

She took the soap from him and soaped his chest. She grabbed her loofah and scrubbed his chest clean while he reached down and squeezed her breasts.

She sucked on his nipple for a few minutes and then he picked her up.

She kissed him with more passion than she had ever felt for anyone. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and ran her fingers through his hair.

He pushed her up against the wall of the shower and used his pelvis to hold her in place.

They furiously kissed as he quickly entered her and began thrusting in and out of her. They were like wild animals who couldn't get enough of each other.

"I want you".

"I want you too".

He squeezed her breasts as he brought her to a climax, and then reached his own a few minutes later.

"That was amazing".

"Yeah, it was incredible".

She kissed him a few times and then got behind him.

"Put me on your back, darling".

He got her on his back and she reached over and got the shampoo. She lathered his hair really, really, well and massaged his scalp. Afterwards, she rinsed him and then conditioned him.

"Oh, that feels wonderful".

They shared a few kisses and then he grabbed them each a towel and they dried off.

"It's official darling. I'm never showering alone again".

"As long as your showers are with me, I can live with that".

He leaned down and kissed her and then they both got dressed.

"Want to go with me to meet with the DJ and the caterer?"

"If you'll go with me to see the house".

"Deal".

They headed to the garage and she saw that her car was back.

"Darling, what did they say about my car?"

"It was the transmission. They replaced it".

"Wonderful".

They headed to meet with the DJ first, and Jennifer ended up liking him. She made a few changes to the package selection that Deanne had picked out, but in the end, they booked him. They headed to speak to the caterer next. She was a sweet little old woman, who owned her own deli. She answered all of their questions and gave them lots of samples. Jennifer and Jonathan were not fans of the menu Deanne had chosen.

"What kinds of things did you want to serve?"

"I'm torn. Honestly, I like these three things-the boneless buffalo wings, the artichoke cups and the caprese sticks from this menu, and these things-the shrimp salad, the artichoke dip, and the mini cheesesteak sliders from this one".

"And I like the things she didn't like on both. So, how about if I drop two from each section, she drops two from each section, and then we make our own custom menu?"

"I'm fine with that. Just make a list of what you want, and how many people you are expecting and the date of your wedding".

Jennifer wrote out the list and all the required information and handed it to her.

Jonathan paid the deposit and they headed out.

"Thank you".

They headed to meet the realtor to see the house.

As soon as they pulled up to it, Jennifer's eyes began to sparkle.

"I love the gate".

"Yeah, me too. If we keep it, I want to get a new one-one with an H on it maybe".

"That's a great idea".

He punched in the code and they drove up the driveway.

"So, it sits really far back from the road. But all the houses and yards are connected by a gated pathway. There's an HOA, and there's a neighborhood patrol."

She fell in love with the pond, and the cute little bridge that was over it.

They walked inside and Traci, the realtor, gave her the grand tour. Jonathan stayed downstairs since he had already seen it.

He was outside on the patio when she came outside to talk to him.

He knew as soon as he saw her what she was feeling.

"You're mad. You're mad because you love the house and I was right, aren't you?"

"I hate it when you're right. But yes, I do love this house. I can see you and me living here. And Max too. But darling, I want to make some changes."

"We can make whatever changes you want, I promise".

"Darling, can I ask you something?"

"Absolutely."

"How much did this house cost?"

"$12.5 million".

He framed her face with his hands.

"And it's worth every penny".

He gave her a quick kiss before she could say anything.

They went back inside and talked to Traci.

"Well, are you keeping it?"

"Yes, we are".

"The seller gave a $200,000 decorating bonus, so if there's anything you want to have painted or wallpapered, or the floors redone, you can tell me and I will tell them".

"Well, there's one major change I want to make. Upstairs in our bathroom, we have two separate vanities separated by a wall. I want to knock that wall down and connect them. I also want to convert the shower from a tub shower to a shower stall".

They all went upstairs and she and Jonathan agreed on exactly what they wanted and the realtor took detailed notes.

"I will tell them tomorrow or the next day. In the meantime, you will need to get three estimates from contractors for them to choose from".

"Will do. Thank you for all your help".

"Thank you for meeting with us".

They headed back home and came inside.

Jennifer went to take some headache medicine and lay down a little bit, while Jonathan made himself a sandwich.

After he finished eating, he came and joined her. She was fast asleep in the bed.

He closed the drapes and laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

They slept for about 2 hours and then woke up.

She woke up first and eased out of his embrace and went to get some water.

She came back and climbed into bed with him again, and nestled up against his shoulder.

He slowly woke up a little bit later and kissed her a few times.

"What time is it?"

"5:07".

"I had a fun evening planned for us, but I love laying here with you too".

"Well, why don't we do the fun evening and then come back and lay here some more?"

She leaned over and kissed his forehead.

He moved and rested his head on her chest.

She kept kissing him till he was up.

He found her in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What do you have planned for tonight, darling?"

"It's a surprise".

They got ready and headed to the car.

She kept trying to get him to give her hints the whole way there, but he wouldn't budge.

When she saw where they were, she got the biggest smile on her face.

"This is where we are going?!"


	30. Chapter 30

They were at an old-tyme arcade.

He came and opened the door for her and they walked inside.

He purchased them two game cards with tokens on them and they set out to play games. Jennifer turned out to be a ski-ball master, while Jonathan was pretty good at the basketball game.

After about an hour, they only had about 10 tokens left.

"We could play air hockey".

"That sounds like fun. I'm in the mood to beat you tonight".

"Oh you are? Challenge accepted".

He paid their tokens and they got set up.

Jennifer won the first two games, but Jonathan won the third.

They headed to redeem their tickets and picked out a few things. Jonathan picked out a shot glass with the name of the place on it. Jennifer picked out a stuffed zebra holding a heart.

They held hands as they walked outside to the car and she kissed him before she climbed inside.

As soon as he slid into the driver's seat, she grabbed him and kissed him.

"I love you, thank you for a lovely evening".

"I love you too. And it was fun, especially when I beat you in air hockey".

"Um…excuse me? I beat you twice, in air hockey before you beat me once, in air hockey, Mr. Hart".

"Jennifer, the official bylaws of air hockey state that you don't count the scores in the first two games, you only count the scores in the final game".

She cracked up laughing.

"Yeah, right".

They joked and laughed the whole way home and were still laughing when they went inside.

Max was still gone, so they decided to watch a movie in bed.

They turned off the lights and got the room dark like Jennifer liked it and snuggled up.

About halfway through the movie, she turned to him.

"Darling, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For all the issues we've been having lately. You've been trying your best and I let my anger get the best of me and couldn't see that you were trying. I appreciate everything you do, honest".

She gave him a few kisses.

"You don't have to apologize to me for that, darling. And it wasn't you. It was both of us. You were right, I should have asked you before I delegated to Deanne the wedding stuff and I shouldn't have bought a house without you. I panicked when she told me there was another offer, but I still should have talked to you first".

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have yelled at you over it. I mean you bought us a house, not a cardboard box".

"Jennifer, we are both guilty here, and what counts is we are both sorry. We don't have to ever talk about this again, baby. We love each other, and we worked through it, that's what counts".

"I love you".

She leaned forward and kissed him.

"I love you too, more than you know".

He rolled over and made love to her a few times, before they fell asleep all wrapped up.

***3 days later***

Jennifer was packing to go back on the book tour.

Jonathan had made all the arrangements for them to fly out that afternoon. He was due home any minute.

"Max, are you going to be ok here without us? It will only be for 3 weeks".

"Yeah, Miss Edwards, I'll be just fine".

Jonathan came in then, and joined her in the bedroom.

"Hi darling".

"Hi handsome".

She walked over and kissed him.

"Almost ready?"

"Almost".

They quickly finished packing and changed into some comfy clothes. Jonathan loaded the bags into the car and they headed to the airport.

Marcia and Meredith were meeting them at the airport as well.

"I'm so glad you are coming with me, darling".

She kissed the back of his hand.

"Yeah, me too".

"So what states are we doing this time?"

"Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois."

"Where are we starting?"

"In Illinois".

They pulled up and parked and boarded the plane. They had a few minutes to themselves before Marcia and Meredith arrived.

"So, where do we stand on the wedding planning?"

"Well, we got the marriage license. We booked all the vendors. I found a dress. You have to decide if you want to wear a suit or a tux. And we need to find you an orchid colored tie".

"Why orchid?"

"Because darling, our wedding colors are orchid, silver, and black. And it wouldn't look right if you were in a gray suit with a black shirt and a black tie. It's going to look better if you are in a gray suit with a black shirt and an orchid tie".

"Jennifer, I'll look like a pimp with an orchid tie".

She chuckled.

"No, you won't. Just trust me".

"And what if I want to wear my tux?"

"Then we will get you an orchid colored bow tie, and an orchid colored handkerchief for the pocket. I promise you will still look just as handsome as you always have, darling".

"I love you, whatever you want is fine".

He gave her a few sweet kisses.

"Hope we aren't interrupting".

"Oh, hi Marcia. Come on in. Hi Meredith".

"What a lovely plane you have here".

"Thanks, it serves the purpose well".

They had a pretty easy flight to Illinois. Jennifer and Jonathan snuggled up and read some, while Marcia and Meredith relaxed as well. They landed in Chicago and Jonathan called for a car service to take them to their hotel.

"Darling, what do you say to us getting settled in the hotel and then I'll take you out for a nice dinner?"

"That sounds wonderful".

As soon as they were in their room, they changed clothes and headed to dinner.

Jonathan found them an upscale steakhouse. He ordered them some champagne and they had a lovely, romantic dinner.

They were holding hands as they walked back through the lobby and up to the elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, she embraced him.

"I'm so glad you came with me, darling. This book tour will be so much better with you here".

"I love you, darling. I'll go anywhere for you".

They headed to their room and were just about to go to bed when Meredith knocked on the door.

Jennifer grabbed her robe, made sure Jonathan was decent and then opened the door.

"Hi, sorry to bother you. Here is the schedule for tomorrow. We are leaving at 8:30. You have a meet and greet/book signing at a bookstore in the morning, and then another one in the afternoon. No press or photo shoots have been scheduled as of right now".

"Wonderful, thank you".

"Certainly. Good night".

"Good night".

She closed the door and locked it and then climbed in bed next to Jonathan.

"Darling, we haven't talked about this, but do you want me to ask Max to walk you down the aisle?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think I am. You see darling, my father takes much pride in making things difficult for me. And if my aunts are in attendance at our wedding, which I'm sure they will be, they will at some point report everything back to him about our wedding. And if I walk down the aisle alone, it will send the message that I don't need him, that I am just fine on my own. However, if I'm on someone else's arm, it will send the message that I can't hack it and I don't want him to think that I can't hack anything".

"Well, if you change your mind, I'm sure Max would be happy to help out".

"That's sweet, but I can walk down an aisle by myself".

She snuggled down onto his chest and he wrapped an arm around her.

"Darling, what do you think married life will be like for us?"

"Well, I'll be working each day like normal. And then I'll come home to you and we will spend the evenings together, and I'm sure we will travel anywhere you want to go, and we will throw parties and have lots of friends come over all the time, whatever you want".

"I love that".

"Where do you want to go on our honeymoon?"

"Somewhere with you, is all I know".

"Oh, well that's easy. We can get a room at the Greystone Inn about 4 minutes from the house".

"You mean that creepy motel next to the gas station? Without any windows?"

"Yeah, I hear they've redecorated recently. We'll have a ball".

She started laughing.

"No, we will not".

"Oh come on, they cleaned up the blood from the last murder, you can't even tell that there was a body on the floor anymore. It will be great".

"Jonathan! I want to go somewhere I've never been, with things I've never seen before".

"Oh, we can do that too. We can look under the bed, that's something you haven't seen".

"Jonathan Charles, you are impossible".

"And you love me anyways".

"All my heart".

He rolled on top of her and looked deep into her eyes.

"Me too".

He leaned down and kissed her as he ran his hands up and down her body.

They made love for a couple hours and then fell asleep together.

***The next morning***

Jennifer woke up at 7 and jumped in the shower.

Jonathan got up right after her. By 7:45 they were downstairs and ready to go.

They had breakfast in the hotel restaurant together, before Marcia and Meredith came to meet them.

"Ok, your fans await".

"Thank you".

They headed to the car and rode to the bookstore.

Jennifer laced her fingers through Jonathans and wrapped her arm around his as they rode along.

The first engagement went by lighting fast. The bookstore didn't have a lot of space, so she was only allowed to sign books and take pictures with each person and that was it.

Jonathan stood in the shadows and just watched her.

They all headed to lunch right afterwards and then went back to the hotel for a bit.

"Darling, how about some shopping?"

"Yes, please".

"Jennifer, we are leaving for the next engagement at 3:30".

"Got it".

They spent a couple hours shopping, and they managed to find Jonathan's orchid colored tie. She found a few things for herself as well.

They were back at the hotel by 3, and had time to relax a bit before they had to leave.

"Darling, tonight after your book signing, do you want me to find us tickets to a play?"

"Normally, I would say yes. But this trip, I just want to come back here and spend time with you".

"You got it".

He gave her several kisses and then they got ready to leave.

The evening book signing went just as fast as the first.

They all went to dinner together right afterwards, at a cute little Mexican place.

As soon as they got back to the hotel, Jennifer headed to the bathroom. Jonathan changed into his pajamas, and found them a movie on tv.

She had been in there a long time.

"Darling, are you coming to bed?"

"In a minute".

She emerged from the bathroom in a short navy blue robe.

He was flipping through the channels when she climbed into bed.

"Oh no sailor. No TV tonight".

She took the remote from him and turned the tv off and then straddled his waist.

"How about a wedding night preview?"

She leaned down and kissed his chest.

He reached up and untied her robe to reveal a navy blue v-shaped teddy made of satin and eyelash lace.

"You like it?"

"I love it. You look amazing, baby".

He pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately.

They had mad, passionate sex for a couple hours and then passed out together.

"I love you".

"I love you too".

He wrapped his arms around her and held her all night long.

***Two weeks later***

They were almost finished with the book tour. Both of them were ready to get home and get back to a normal routine.

They were in New York. They had arrived last night and were going to stay for a few days. Today was a day of press. Tomorrow and the next day were book signings.

Jonathan and Jennifer had foregone their room at the Hilton in order to stay at his penthouse.

He got up early with her and went with her to the Today show, and then sat with her while she did 4 more interviews with local television stations. She was done around 11 a.m., and they headed to one of her favorite salad places for lunch.

On the way to lunch, they noticed signs all over that advertised her book signings.

"Darling, look right up there".

He pointed to the digital billboard in Times Square. Her face was up there along with the words "Book Signing tomorrow, 4-8, Mallard's bookstore".

"Oh my gosh!"

"You've made it baby. Congratulations".

He leaned over and kissed her.

They headed to their restaurant and found a table by the window.

While they were eating, she looked out the window and froze.

"Darling, what is it?"

"I could have sworn I just saw my father".

"Really? You want to go talk to him? I'll go with you".

"No, no. That's ok. I'm probably mistaken. I'm sure it's someone else".

They finished eating and then headed to the penthouse.

Her book signing that night was her best one yet. It was so packed that the fire marshal came and directed traffic. The owner of the bookstore had to do a "two people leave, one person enters" type of deal to control the crowds.

Jennifer signed until her hand hurt and then signed some more.

Finally, it was over and they were able to leave.

"Great job, Jennifer. Tomorrow won't start till 12, so enjoy your morning".

"Thanks Marcia".

Jennifer and Jonathan decided to walk to the penthouse since it was only 4 blocks.

They got 2 blocks away when her heel got caught in the storm drain.

He helped her get it out, but she dropped her purse. Her lipstick was rolling into the street and she ran out to get it.

Jonathan saw a bus coming but Jennifer didn't see it at all.

"Jennifer!"

Jonathan grabbed her just before the bus hit her and tossed her onto the sidewalk, taking most of the impact from the bus himself.


	31. Chapter 31

People all around them tried to help. Someone called 911. Within minutes, they were loaded up onto stretchers and being taken to the hospital.

They were brought in together and placed into the same room together at first.

Jonathan had a few broken ribs and a broken forearm and cuts and abrasions. Luckily for him, the bus had stopped right after it hit him, and it hadn't ran over him.

Jennifer had a broken femur that was going to require surgery and several broken and bruised vertebrae. When Jonathan had tossed her, she had landed at a very weird angle against the curb. She hit her head on a fire hydrant, leaving her unconscious and giving her a gash that required stitches.

Jonathan came to first, and immediately reached over and pulled on her bed till he could reach her hand.

The nurse came in to check on them.

"Now, sir, you shouldn't strain yourself. You need to rest and she does too".

"I don't want her to be alone. She's my fiancée".

"She's not alone. Try and rest. Can you answer some questions for us?"

He nodded.

"What is your name?"

"Jonathan Charles Hart".

"Very Well. What is her name?"

"Jennifer Edwards".

"How old are you?"

"I'm 39. She's 29".

"Are either of you allergic to anything?"

"Not that I know of".

"Very well. Try and rest and push the button if you need us".

"Is she going to wake up soon?"

"Probably not. She's having surgery in the morning to repair her femur. She's been heavily sedated and will probably sleep till well after that".

She gave him some medicine to relax him in his IV and he struggled to keep his eyes open for a few more minutes.

"I love you….baby….", he said as he drifted off to sleep.

***The next morning***

Jonathan slept till 9, and when he woke up, they had already taken Jennifer to surgery. Their room felt so empty.

He reached over and grabbed the phone and called the Hilton.

"Hi, I need a room for a Marcia Granger, please".

Marcia came on the line a few minutes later.

"Hi, it's Jonathan. Jennifer and I were hit by a bus last night, literally. We are in Manhattan Methodist hospital, I think. Anyways, you are going to have to cancel everything for a few weeks".

"Is she alright?"

"She's in surgery. I haven't talked to the nurse about how she is. She was asleep when I woke up last night".

"Oh my goodness, thank you for letting me know. I'll take care of everything".

"Thank you".

He hung up and a few minutes later, the doctor came in.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Hart?"

"Like I was hit by a train".

"Well, the good news is, it was only a bus".

"What are my injuries?"

"You have a broken arm and some broken ribs, plus your x-rays show bruises to your liver and kidneys, and some lung contusions. We expect those to heal on their own. In a few days when the swelling goes down, we will cast your arm."

"How is Jennifer?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I cannot discuss another patient with you".

"Dr., I appreciate that. But she is my fiancée and she doesn't have any other family".

"I see. Well, her injuries were more severe. She has a broken femur, which my colleague Dr. Stark is repairing in surgery right now. And she has a few broken vertebrae, which will heal in time. She also has a gash on the back of her head that required about 10 stitches, and she is very bruised".

"My fault".

"How so?"

"She was in the street picking something up. There was a bus coming, so I grabbed her and pushed her out of the way and that's how I got hit by the bus".

"Mr. Hart, I know you feel some blame in her injuries, but let me assure you, had you not done what you did, and had the bus hit her instead of you, given her small stature she would surely have not survived that. You saved her life, Mr. Hart. And she will be able to recover from all her injuries".

He nodded.

"Now, she will be back in here tomorrow sometime. After surgery, she will be taken to ICU where she can be closely monitored. I want you to focus on resting and healing. No walking just yet."

"Thank you, Dr.-"

"Nelson. I'm Dr. Nelson".

"Thank you, Dr. Nelson".

Jonathan went back to sleep for a few hours. When he woke up, Jennifer still wasn't there.

He asked the nurse for an update on her. She called down to the ICU and after speaking with the nurses, hung up.

"She's resting comfortably, surgery went well. She's doing just fine".

"Thank you".

"Can I order you something to eat?"

"I guess."

He marked his choices and then she placed the order for him.

He tried to watch TV but nothing held his interest.

He just wanted Jennifer.

He managed to eat all of his lunch, and then slept for a little while.

When he woke up, he was in a tremendous amount of pain.

He pushed the button for the nurse and she came and gave him some strong pain meds.

"These will help you sleep till morning".

"Tell Jennifer I love her".

***The next morning***

Jonathan woke up around 8 and was starving. He was also beyond ready to get out of the bed.

Around 8:30, they brought Jennifer in. She immediately reached for him.

The nurse agreed to put their beds closer together so they could hold hands.

"I…love….you…"

"I love you too".

"What happened?"

"You dropped your purse and something rolled into the street. You went to get it and there was a bus coming. I pushed you out of the way".

She squeezed his hand.

"What happened to you?"

"I pushed you out of the way so the bus hit me and not you".

He laid his head back against the mattress and looked at her.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright."

"I'm sorry, darling. I wasn't trying to injure you, I swear it".

"Not your fault, darling".

The doctor came and examined them on their rounds again.

"Miss Edwards, are you in any pain?"

"No, I'm not. Only when I move".

"Well, that's to be expected".

"How long am I stuck here?"

"Well, it will be several days before you will be strong enough to use crutches. You aren't going to be able to put weight on that leg for several weeks. So, at minimum, I would say you can expect to be here at least a week".

She nodded.

"Now, both of you need to rest. I don't mind you staying in the same room, as I believe that it will help both of you heal a little better. However, neither of you are strong enough for sexual relations, and both of you need lots of rest".

"We understand".

"Your nurse for tonight is Elizabeth. She's wonderful, you will love her. She has my permission to give you whatever pain meds you need. You two both have serious injuries, so my advice to you both is don't be a hero-take the pain meds".

"Oh we will, believe me".

"Very well, I will see you two on rounds in the morning. Most of what we have given both of you so far should be out of your system by then".

"Thank you, doctor".

Jennifer leaned over and called Marcia.

They chatted for a few minutes and she offered to bring them dinner.

"Thank you, we would love that".

Elizabeth came in just as she hung up the phone.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure".

"I can barely reach the phone on this table. Can you possibly move this one over here to this side?"

"Sure".

After they got it all set up, she made sure that they had their pain buttons and then left to check on other patients.

As soon as she did, Jonathan pulled his bed closer to Jennifer's. He leaned over and lowered her bed rail on her left and then managed to somehow lower his on his right.

She leaned over and puckered her lips for a kiss and he happily obliged her.

"I love you".

"I love you too".

Marcia came a little while later, with a steak dinner for both of them.

"Jonathan, I had the chef cut your steak into bite-sized pieces for you. I got you mashed potatoes with all the toppings and mac and cheese on the side. Jennifer, I got you a steak salad".

"Wonderful. We so appreciate it".

She stayed with them while they ate and promised to come back the next morning.

They snuggled up as best they could and she drifted off to sleep with her head on his shoulder.

***The next day***

Jennifer woke up more alert than the previous day. She also felt stronger too.

Jonathan woke up right after she did and leaned over to kiss her.

He was in a good deal of pain in one of his legs so he told the nurse and she ordered an x-ray.

They had just taken him to x-ray when the dr. came in to examine them.

"How are you feeling, Miss Edwards?"

"Mentally, I'm more with it. Physically, I'm the same as yesterday".

They talked about a few things and then he promised he would be back to examine Jonathan.

About 20 minutes later they brought Jonathan back in.

"Dr. Nelson will be in to examine you and go over the x-rays".

"I ordered us some breakfast. I ordered you scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and coffee".

"Thank you".

"I am so ready to get out of this bed and take a shower. Darling, what do you think about me calling Marcia to see if she could go to the Penthouse and bring us some of our things?"

"I'm ok with that".

She reached over and called her and gave her a list of what they wanted.

"Pajamas for both of us. My suitcases are the Louis Vuitton ones, his suitcases are black. Fresh underwear for both, plus an outfit to wear home from the hospital in for each of us. And can you also bring me my hygiene stuff, his shaving kit, and some lounge clothes for me to wear in the meantime? I should have some gray wide-legged sweats in my suitcase, and some tank tops."

"Certainly. How about some lunch? Up for a pizza?"

"Yes, that sounds amazing. Cheese for me, three meat for Jonathan. Thank you".

"I'll be there soon".

The orderly brought their breakfasts and they both scarfed them down.

"These eggs are so bland but I don't care. I'm starving".

"Me too".

Right when they finished, the doctor came in to examine Jonathan.

"Hi. I was just looking over your x-rays. Either you have a high pain tolerance or you had some swelling we didn't realize you had. But Mr. Hart, your right foot is broken. In two places".

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so".

He put the x-ray up to show him.

"There, and there".

"So now what?"

"We are going to cast you. You will be in a cast for about 6 weeks".

"Thank you".

"Certainly. I'll be in to check on you two later this afternoon".

"Dr., if I may, before you leave, can I ask you something?"

"Sure".

"I am still numb from the surgery. How long is that going to last?"

"Not much longer, but I would have thought it would have ended by now. Where are you numb?"

"From the waist down".

"I tell you what. We will discontinue all your meds and push saline through your system to do a full flush. Afterwards, we will start managing your pain once you are no longer numb".

"Thank you".

The nurse came in then and told her she was going to take them one at a time for a shower.

"I'm still numb".

"That's ok, we are going to move you to a different bed, wheel you down the hall and give you a shower in the bed, and then bring you back."

"Oh, that sounds heavenly. But I have a friend bringing me pajamas and my hygiene stuff. Can we possibly wait till she gets here?"

"Certainly. Just hit the button when you are ready and I will work you in".

"Thank you".

They laid around till Marcia showed up about an hour later. Thanks to the meds, they were hungry again.

Jonathan practically devoured his half of the pizza. Jennifer managed to eat several pieces as well.

"Thank you so much for bringing us our stuff and for the pizza".

"No problem. I'm happy to help out".

She sat down across from them.

"Now for the bad news. I have to return to California for work. The rest of the tour is canceled, and the West coast part is on hold till you feel better, whenever that is."

"I understand."

"Don't push it. Take your time healing".

"I will call you when I am back in California".

They said their goodbyes and then she and Jonathan finished the pizza and laid around a little bit.

The nurse came and casted his foot. He picked blue.

Jonathan felt asleep first. Jennifer was just about to when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in".

The door opened and in walked her father.

"Hi".

"Hi". He came and sat down across from them.

"What are you doing here?"

"The hospital called me and said you were here. I just came to see if you were alright".

"I see".

"What happened to you?"

"The short story is that I was almost hit by a bus".

"What are your injuries?"

"Broken femur, a few broken vertebrae, cuts and abrasions, gash in the back of my head that needed stitches".

"How long are you going to be here?"

"I have no idea".

He gestured towards Jonathan.

"What is he doing here?"

"He was hit too. He pushed me out of the way and took most of the impact".

She looked over and saw that he was still sleeping.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead".

"Why didn't you come to my book signing?"

"I was out of the country".

"Would you have come if you weren't?"

"We don't have a relationship, Jennifer. That's what you initiated".

"I remember that. And that makes me wonder why you are here now".

"Because you are hurt".

"I was hurt then, when we ended our relationship too, but you didn't seem to give a damn".

"I didn't come here to argue with you. I simply came here to make sure you were ok".

"I'm not ok, Pa. I'm not ok".

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll let you rest and come back to visit tomorrow".

Without another word, he got up and left her room.


	32. Chapter 32

***The next morning***

Jennifer woke up and found Jonathan was already awake.

"Hi, I ordered us breakfast from a deli. Should be delivered at any moment. I got you a veggie omelet with extra cheese and some fresh squeezed juice".

"Thank you".

She leaned over and kissed him.

She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'm scared, darling".

"Scared of what?"

"Well, it's been two days and I still can't feel my legs".

"Well, we will have the dr. run more tests when he gets in here. And whatever the test results are, we will deal with it, together".

"You don't deserve a wife who can't walk, Jonathan."

"You are the wife I deserve, Jennifer, although I'm not sure how. And there aren't any restrictions on that".

"You mean you'll still love me even if you have to push me everywhere?"

"Absolutely. There's not a single thing in the world that would ever change the way I feel about you, baby. Certainly not something like this that you cannot control".

"I was so stupid. I should have seen the bus coming".

"Now come on, you can't do that to yourself".

"I just keep thinking if I had only seen it, we wouldn't be messed up like this".

"Jennifer, if anyone is to blame here, it's me, not you. I pushed you out of the way, so really your injuries are my fault, not yours".

"Jonathan, you were saving me. I would never blame you for that".

"And I don't blame you for any of this".

He gave her a couple kisses and then wrapped his arm around her and tried to comfort her.

Their breakfast was delivered and they had just finished eating when the dr. came in.

"How are we feeling today?"

"Much better. Moving in the right direction".

"Glad to hear it".

"Dr., I'm concerned. I still cannot feel my legs".

"Still? Ok, I'm going to order some tests. This could be temporary, though, so don't get too discouraged."

The nurse came and took her to have the tests run and then brought her back.

She immediately grabbed Jonathan's hand.

"You ok?"

She nodded.

"It was awful, but I'm ok".

"What was awful?"

"They had me stand and I couldn't. They wanted me to try to walk, and I just couldn't".

She turned her head as the tears just spill over onto her cheeks.

"Darling, remember, the doctor said it could be temporary".

He wrapped an arm around her and held her for a few minutes.

They waited for the doctor to come talk to her about the test results.

About 20 minutes later, Dr. Nelson came in. He was accompanied by a female doctor.

"Miss Edwards, this is Dr. Hood. She is a spinal cord specialist. I asked her to look over your x-rays and test results and she and I are in total agreement. I will let her explain".

Dr. Hood pulled a chair up next to her bed.

"You have a fracture in L4, and 2 fractures in L5. You have a lot of swelling in and around those two vertebrae. We believe that is why you have lost feeling and mobility in your legs. It could be temporary, like Dr. Nelson has previously told you. It could also be permanent. I believe it to be temporary, but the spinal cord is tricky. Typically, in situations like this, we see a gap in the spinal cord. Or we see where the nerve was dissected or pinched. I am not seeing that, but that doesn't mean that I won't see that when the swelling goes down."

"What can I do in the meantime?"

"Well, one thing you can do is stay positive. A positive outlook is always more helpful than a negative one. I am going to refer you to a physical therapist who comes to you. They will have you do some exercises to keep your strength up. And they have these machines-I'm going to order one for you-it's a bike but it does it for you, kind of like how a treadmill starts on its own. You sit down, strap your feet into the pedals, and hit a few buttons. In an hour, you will be sweating like you ran on the beach".

Jonathan could tell Jennifer was overwhelmed.

"Thank you, Doctor".

"Dr., can I travel? I mean, I can stay here a little while, but my life is in California. Am I ok to travel back to California?"

"Yes, I don't see why not. Now, I am prepared to order some equipment for you. Would you like hand poles, or a wheelchair?"

"Can I have both?"

"Certainly".

"Thank you".

"Physical therapy will come by this afternoon and show you how to use both, and help you get comfortable in them. Again, I think this is just temporary. But I want you to be prepared in case it's not".

She nodded.

The doctors left then, and Jennifer collapsed into tears.

"I promised myself I would never cry in front of you, that you didn't need to see me that way".

"Jennifer, you have been through a huge ordeal. I would be worried about you if you didn't cry about this. It's ok darling, I promise".

Jonathan tried to comfort her, but it was no use. She cried for about 2 hours and fell asleep on his shoulder.

She slept for a few hours and he woke her up when the physical therapist came.

"Darling, physical therapy is here."

She woke up and reached for her water.

"Hi. I'm Kendall."

"Hi. I'm Jennifer".

"Nice to meet you".

"Like wise".

"Ok, so first, we are going to do some exercises. You can do these morning, noon, night, whenever you want to, really. These exercises will help your muscles regain their memory and their strength."

She lifted her leg and began to flex and push it and bend it and stretch it. They did several reps. Jennifer didn't feel a thing the entire time. She did the other leg and then gave her a rest.

"Ok, so now I'm going to show you how to use these poles".

She got the poles out and put them by the bed.

"So, you put your feet on the pedal and strap them in tight. Until you can feel your feet again, you want to focus on pulling the strap through as far as possible. Later, if you are able to feel your feet but you are still wearing these, only do it till it's tight-if it's tingly that could cause you to lose circulation".

Jennifer nodded.

"Now, I'm going to wrap a belt around you and help hold you up so that you don't lose your balance. In time, you will find your balance on the poles and not on your feet".

It took several minutes, but she held Jennifer up, and didn't let her fall.

"Ok, so when you're ready, we will try moving. You tell me when you are ready. For starters, let's try you moving the poles one at a time, then swinging your hips forward and bringing your legs even with the poles."

She was a little wobbly, but she managed a few steps with the arm poles. Jonathan tried to encourage her.

"Good job darling, I'm so proud of you".

Kendall wouldn't let her go much farther than the bathroom, but she let Jennifer do it a few times.

"Ok, that's good enough for today. Let's get you back in bed."

She helped get her settled back in the bed and then showed her the wheelchair.

"This is your standard wheelchair-you will use your arms to push yourself. These are the brakes, the foot rests are not only mobile but removable and they fit into the pockets on the side. There's a lever on the back, and if you pull it, it will collapse down to the size similar to a briefcase so that you can take it with you easily."

"I see".

"Good job today. I'll come back tonight and we can do those exercises again before bed. And I'll leave this belt in case you want to get the nurse to help you practice some more later. But seriously, no farther than the door to the hallway-you tire out a lot faster than you realize".

"Thank you".

Jennifer didn't want to talk or anything after Kendall left. Jonathan turned on the tv, but she didn't want to watch that either.

Finally, she just reclined her bed flat and took a nap.

She slept about an hour and then woke up.

Jonathan was still awake.

He reached over and grabbed her hand.

"Feeling better?"

"A little".

There was a knock at the door and Jonathan yelled out "Come in".

The door opened and her father walked in.

"Hi".

"Hello".

Jonathan kissed the back of her hand and then swung his legs over the side of the bed. He gingerly stood up and hopped over to her wheelchair.

"Darling, what are you doing?"

"I am going to roll down to the nurse's station and inquire about our personal belongings. And then I'm going to go to the cafeteria and get us something to eat. I'll be back".

"Jonathan, you don't have to do this".

"I know."

He rolled out of the room, giving her and her dad some privacy.

"How are you feeling?"

"Out of sorts. Physically, I'm fine, I guess".

"Why are you out of sorts?"

"Because I cannot feel my legs, Pa. And the doctor said it's probably temporary but there is a chance that it's permanent. I'm sure you will view that as another failure, and that's ok. I'm used to your criticisms".

"What are you talking about? I haven't criticized you".

"Everything you've ever said to me has been a criticism. You haven't once told me that you love me or that you are proud of me. You never talk about what I do right, only what I do wrong. Tell me-how is that not a criticism?"

"Look, I don't want to argue with you".

"Pa, after the way you have treated me since Mama died, and especially the way you treated Jonathan when you first met him, you can't seriously expect that our conversations would be all that cheerful. I have never been able to figure out why you insist on making things difficult for me when you of all people could have made them so much easier. I tried for years to please you, and it was hopeless. And I was tired and constantly frustrated and disappointed that my efforts were in vain. Now, I'm at a place in my life where I could care less if I have your approval or not".

Stephen was quiet for a few minutes.

"Look, I admit that I wasn't the best father. I neglected you, at a time when you probably needed me the most. And that's my fault. It's just that I had no idea how to talk to you, what to do with you, you were stubborn, just like your mother, and you looked so much like her. I thought I was doing the right thing by sending you to boarding school."

"Me going to boarding school isn't what hurt me. I admit I was mad at first, but I grew to love it and now I cherish those memories".

"Then what exactly was it that hurt you?"

"You, at my graduation. You purposely picked an argument with me because I chose to go to UCLA for college. You never once congratulated me on graduating high school with a 4.25 GPA, and getting a full ride to UCLA, instead you told me what a horrible decision that was and how you thought I was smarter than that. And when I graduated Summa cum laude from UCLA, you acted as though you didn't give a damn. You have always told me that Journalism was a play career, not a real one. And that's not true. I've busted my ass as a journalist over the years, and I have a lot to show for it."

"I always wanted you to have a substantial career, such as a surgeon or a lawyer. I didn't purposely make things easy for you because I wanted to teach you how to be strong, how to survive".

"Yes, but I don't enjoy those things. I never have. How would you have felt if your parents wanted you to do something you didn't enjoy?"

"I suppose you have a point. But you aren't the only victim here, either. You are the one who ended our relationship, not me".

"Because of the way you spoke to Jonathan. You told him he was nothing based on the fact that he grew up in an orphanage. He couldn't help that, Pa. And you were so rude to him. He is the nicest, kindest, most genuine guy I've ever known, much less dated. You didn't give him a chance. And you haven't exactly reached out to me either, you know. I called you from Miami and you wouldn't even speak to me".

"Darling, one day when you have children, you will understand. As a parent, you have certain dreams for your child. You want them to grow up happy, successful, with all the opportunities you had and even the ones you didn't. You get an idea in your head about who you want them to be, what kind of person you want them to be with. A lawyer or a doctor with an established practice will be able to provide for you, sweetheart. That's all I've ever wanted for you".

"Jonathan provides for me just fine, without being a doctor or a lawyer."

"He's a businessman. Businesses go under every day".

"Not his. Ever heard of Hart Industries?"

"Yes, I have."

"He's Jonathan Hart, the founder and CEO. He started the company from nothing, and has grown it into a very successful conglomerate. And he did it on his own, after being turned down for a loan by almost everyone. And you had the nerve to tell him he was from the wrong side of the tracks".

"Ok, so maybe I misjudged him".

"Yeah, maybe. As in 1000%. You have turned into this bitter, hateful, old man that I don't recognize Pa."

"Losing your mother put a huge strain on me. I never let myself consider the fact that we would lose her".

"Yeah, but it's more than that".

"Jennifer, you have to understand. I was gone a lot when you were growing up."

"I remember".

"And I blinked and one day you were all grown up. And instead of my child-like daughter in front of me, you were a grown woman that I didn't know. And I had no idea how to talk to you or what to do around you or anything. And the only person who would know, your mother, was gone. And then, you were so determined to live life by your own rules, regardless of what I thought or anyone else. And I suddenly realized that I was out of time."

"You could have talked to me. You could have said something, anything".

"I was a fool for not, I admit that".

She nodded.

"Did you honestly think I would marry Elliott?"

"No. And based on reports that I've read about him recently, I'm glad you didn't".

"So why cut me off financially and keep me cut off if you understood?"

"To save face. And then I told myself that if I had done anything right where you were concerned, you would figure it out, you wouldn't need my help".

"Pa, don't you see? You've been punishing me for 8 years, almost 9 years, for doing what you wanted me to do in the first place. How is that fair?"

"You're right. It's not".

"Now, I'm going to say this and you will have a decision to make. Jonathan and I are engaged. We are in love, we are going to be married. You can either get on board and be genuinely happy for us, or you can go back to wherever and live your life and we will live ours. Regardless of whether or not you think Journalism is a noble profession, it's still my profession. And I'm damn good at it, if I do say so myself. In fact, my book tour was so successful that they extended it and doubled my engagements. I've already exceeded their sales projections 3 times and my book has only been out 2 months. If you had shown up that night that you were invited, you would have seen that it was standing room only and the line to get in stretched around the building. I might not ever write another bestseller again, and that's ok. I have been published in several notable magazines, in papers across the country, and I even won a coveted journalism award a few years back for my work. Jonathan can more than provide for the both of us, and he has already told me that I can work if I want and if I don't want, that's ok too. So, you can either accept him, apologize to him for your rudeness the last time you saw him, and welcome him to the family, or you can go your way and we will go ours. But if you do accept him, and we allow you to be in our lives again, there will be some boundaries. For one, you must begin to respect my choices. I am intelligent and I have taken care of myself just fine, Pa. I am never indecent in front of others, and if I choose to leave my shoulders uncovered, you will just have to find a way to deal with it, just like you need to deal with the fact that writing is my passion, and that I am never going to be a doctor or a lawyer. Another one is you will not make any comments or wisecracks about Jonathan and his upbringing. He's a wonderful person when you get to know him, which you have not done. He is perfect, just the way he is, without the snobby letters behind his name. And the final one is the big one-you will never mention the name Elliott Manning to me again, and if you talk to him, you will not give him any information on me at all."

"Fine. But you have to agree to some things too. One of them being that you will reinstate our Sunday conversations. And another-I am no relationship therapist, but I feel that if you and I are going to ever have a healthy father/daughter relationship, we both have to let go of the past. That includes you too. It's a clean slate or none at all".

"I can agree to that".

She leaned over and got a kleenex and wiped her eyes and then took a sip of water.

They chatted about her treatment plans.

"So where do you intend to go after you leave here?"

"Jonathan has an apartment here in the city that is wheelchair accessible. So, we will be there for awhile and then at some point we will be going back to California, once I can get therapy set up for our home there".

"You are more than welcome to come to my house".

"Pa, your house isn't wheelchair accessible. I wouldn't be able to fit the wheelchair through the doors".

Jonathan came in then, with a pile of stuff on his lap.

"Darling, I got our things. The nurses had them. Here is your purse, and the clothes you had on."

"Thank you".

He got up and hopped back to his bed and climbed in.

"Darling, my ring is missing".

"No it isn't".

He reached for her hand and slid it back on her finger and then leaned over and kissed her.

"Thank you".

Stephen spoke up then.

"Did you two set a date yet?"

"Yes, but we are canceling it."

Jonathan looked at her in shock.


	33. Chapter 33

"We are?"

"Darling, I can't walk. And I want more than anything to walk down the aisle to you, at our wedding. And you have a broken foot, which will still be in a cast then. And we are bruised and battered, and I just think we need to cancel and reschedule when we are healed".

"I can live with that".

"When was it?"

"May 20th."

"So, you'll push it back a month or so".

"Well, this place that we are getting married is very popular. We probably won't be able to get in till September".

"Jennifer, I respect the fact that you want to walk down the aisle to me. But I want you to know, you not being able to do that is ok too. We can make it work, wheelchair or no wheelchair".

"That's sweet. But this is something I'm determined to do".

"Jonathan, can you enlighten me on what happened that caused this hospital stay?"

"Sir, we were walking down the street towards the building where my apartment is. And Jennifer's heel got caught in the storm drain. I helped her pull it out, but she stumbled and dropped her purse in the process, and the contents went all over. She stepped off the curb to get something and there was a bus coming, that she didn't see. I saw it, grabbed her and tossed her onto the sidewalk, and the bus hit me before I could move completely out of the way."

"Do you blame yourself for her injuries?"

"I did. But then the doctor told me that with her small stature, had the bus hit her instead of me, she wouldn't have survived it. So, as much as I love her, I would rather have her here and injured than not here".

"You saved my life Jonathan. Don't you dare feel guilty about a thing".

She looked at her father and gave him a pointed look.

"Jonathan, I wasn't fair to you last fall. I misjudged you and didn't give you a chance. I was wrong, and I apologize for that and for my rudeness. Your upbringing wasn't your fault and I shouldn't have tried to insinuate that it is. Instead of focusing on what kind of husband I wanted Jennifer to have, I should have been focused on her happiness. I want to officially give you two my blessing and I want you to know that if she is happy with you, I am happy with you also".

He stood up and extended his hand to Jonathan.

Jonathan took it.

"Thank you, sir. I promise, that I love her with all of my heart, and that I will do anything and everything to make sure that she is happy and well taken care of".

"That's all a father can ask for".

He sat back down. Jennifer had tears in her eyes.

"So, tell me about your apartment. Will she be ok there?"

"Yes sir, she will. It's the penthouse in the Plaza. It's a secured building, with elevator access to all the floors, and I am going to hire a nurse to help lift her and carry her when I cannot. You're more than welcome to check it out for yourself when we leave here".

"Darling, we don't need to hire a nurse. I just need to practice with the poles, that's all".

"I understand that. But I cannot put any weight on this foot. And if you lost your balance and fell, you wouldn't be able to get up on your own, I wouldn't be able to get you up and I don't want you to just lay there".

"Good point".

"How long are you in town for, Pa?"

"Well, I came in town a few days ago. And I was going to leave tomorrow, but if you are still in the hospital, I will stay till you get out of the hospital".

"So, that was you I saw the other day! I could have sworn I saw you across the street from us at lunch".

"It's possible. Sweetheart, you need to call your aunts tonight and let them know you are ok. I called them last night, and I promised them you would call them when you were feeling better".

"Good idea. And Darling, you should probably call Max and Jack".

"Yeah, I will tonight, for sure."

"Well, I am going to head back to my hotel so that you two can rest. Sweetheart, I will come back in the morning, I promise".

He came over to her side of the bed and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Pa. Thanks for coming, and thanks for working things out with Jonathan".

He extended his hand to Jonathan.

"Take care, son".

"Goodnight, sir".

He left and closed the door behind him.

"So, I take it you two worked things out?"

"At the very least, we came to a temporary agreement. I made him promise to apologize to you and to never bring up your upbringing in a negative way again, and to never mention Elliott to me again, or me to Elliott if he sees him. And I also made him agree to respect my choices, regardless if he likes them or not".

"Good for you".

She hit the button for the nurse.

"Darling, I didn't see anything good in the cafeteria. Why don't we order in?"

"Sounds good to me. What can you eat with one hand?"

"How about Chinese? I can eat that with a fork".

"Great idea".

The nurse came in the room.

"Hi, I was wondering if you could help me stand up so I can use the balance poles to maybe go to the bathroom?"

"Certainly".

Jennifer was able to gain her balance faster this time and was a lot steadier on the poles than she was before.

Going to the bathroom wasn't a picnic by any means, but she managed. The hardest part was standing back up afterwards and getting her balance again.

She got back in bed and Jonathan could tell her spirits had lessened some.

She leaned over and called her aunts and spoke to them for a good long time. After she was finished, she handed the phone to him so he could call Jack and Max.

Max offered to fly out, but Jonathan told him that wasn't necessary.

"We will be back in California as soon as possible Max".

"Give my best to Miss Edwards. Whatever she needs, just let me know, Mr. H."

"We will, don't worry. We aren't going to be very exciting company for a while, I'm afraid".

"Oh that's ok, Mr. H. You two have been in a horrible accident. You gotta give yourself time to recover".

"We will, believe me".

He and Max said their goodbyes and then he tried to focus on Jennifer.

He ordered them their Chinese food, and then she put the phone back on the nightstand.

"Darling, let's not cancel the wedding just yet. Let's wait and see how your body responds".

She nodded.

"What if this is it?"

He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"We will deal with it the best way we can, darling. No matter what".

***Two days later***

Jonathan and Jennifer had been released from the hospital. Her vertebrae had healed to the point they were just bruised, and had started to heal. She still hadn't regained feeling in her legs.

Jennifer had hired a couple nurses to come and help out for the first couple days while they were home at the penthouse.

The orderly pushed her out to the car that was waiting for them, and then collapsed her wheelchair for her and slid it into the front seat.

The driver of the car service drove them to the plaza and then opened it and helped her into the wheelchair. She was able to push herself to the elevator. He slowly made his way with crutches, and the bellman followed with their bags and Jennifer's hand poles.

They finally got settled in the penthouse and the first thing Jennifer wanted to do was take a shower.

"Baby, the nurse will be here in about 20 minutes. Can you wait till she gets here so she can help you?"

"I guess".

"Why don't we order lunch? It might be here by the time you get out of the shower".

"Sure".

They hemmed and hawed and then finally agreed on a deli down the street.

"Lemon chicken soup, Grilled chicken and a side of grilled veggies, please. And some tzatziki dip and pitas".

"That sounds amazing."

The doorbell rang and they both yelled out to come in.

A sweet lady about Jennifer's height opened the door and stepped in.

"Hi, I'm here to see a Jonathan Hart?"

"That's me".

"Hi. I'm Rebecca Nolan, I'm the nurse you hired".

"Hi, thanks for coming. This is my fiancée Jennifer."

"Hi, lovely to meet you".

"We were injured a couple of days ago. And as a result, Jennifer can't move or feel her legs. So, I contacted the agency to see if they could send someone to help her do things like get in bed, get out of bed, get in and out of the tub if she wants a bubble bath, or the shower if she wants one. My main concern is that she will fall and I won't be able to get her up".

"We can definitely help with that. And just to put your minds at ease, I have 12 years experience in the nursing and healthcare industry, and I've been with the agency you contacted for 8 years."

"Thank you for coming".

"Where would you like me to start?"

"Well, I would love a shower. Jonathan, do you have a chair that we can put in the shower that I can sit in?"

"Yes, I do. Rebecca, if you wouldn't mind-there's a closet on the patio. In the closet is a lawn chair".

"Right away".

Jennifer rolled to the bedroom and got out a towel and managed to get most of her clothes off before Rebecca got back.

Once the chair was in place, Rebecca turned to Jennifer.

"If you can just help me get into the chair, I can turn the water on and off by myself and bathe myself. You don't have to stay in here with me."

"Ok, sounds good."

"I have my phone here in the pocket of my wheelchair. I will text Jonathan when I'm ready to get out".

Rebecca helped her into the shower and then left her to take her shower.

Jennifer waited till she was alone and then took her robe off and tossed it onto her wheelchair.

She took a nice, long hot shower, and then turned the water off and opened the shower door. She grabbed her towel and dried off, and then put her robe back on.

She texted Jonathan and a few minutes later, Rebecca came in and helped her into her wheelchair again.

"Thank you".

"Do you need help getting dressed?"

"No, I can manage, thank you".

Rebecca came out to the living room again, and left Jennifer to dress herself.

She chose a pair of yoga capris and a t-shirt. Instead of drying her hair, she just put it into a ponytail.

She rolled herself to the living room again, and Rebecca helped her transfer to the couch, right next to Jonathan.

Their lunch was delivered so she answered the door and got them set up with tv trays.

She sat in the kitchen and tried to give them some privacy while they ate.

They found a movie on tv and watched it after lunch and ended up napping together for a few hours.

Jonathan ordered them dinner from an Italian place they both liked and Rebecca helped them get set up with tv trays again.

"Mr. Hart, I'm supposed to spend the night and go off shift at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Where would you like for me to be when you guys are sleeping?"

"There's a guest room down that hall, 2nd door on the right. You are welcome to stay in there. And if you look in the cabinet in the dining room, there's a hand bell. We can take that with us and ring it if we need you".

"Good idea. Are either of you on medication that you will need to take during the night?"

"No, we are not".

She sat with them while they watched a movie after dinner. Jennifer rolled into the bedroom and put a nightgown on, and changed the bandage on her thigh incision. Jonathan hobbled into the bedroom and changed into his pajamas as well, with a little help from Jennifer.

When they were ready, Rebecca came and helped Jennifer into bed and then got them each a glass of water.

"Ring the bell if you need me. Sleep well".

As soon as she was in her room, Jonathan leaned over to Jennifer.

"How are you feeling? You've been pretty quiet all day".

"Completely and totally worthless".

"Jennifer, you are still healing. You aren't worthless, not even a little bit. You have to give yourself time to heal".

"Jonathan, I can't hardly do anything for myself. I've always been an independent person. I don't like being boxed in, you know that. I can't stand it that I have to rely on a perfect stranger to help me do the most basic simple things in life. And when I think that I might have to do this for the rest of my life, it just kills me".

"One day at a time, darling. Let's just take it one day at a time".

He wrapped an arm around her and held her till she fell asleep.

When he heard her breathing evenly and deeply, he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, baby. I'll always love you".


	34. Chapter 34

***A week later***

Jennifer and Jonathan stayed in New York as long as they could before returning to California. She hadn't regained feeling in her legs, but she had learned how to balance on them a little better. Her core strength was improving every day.

Jonathan hired the car service to take them to the airport and called Jack to fly them.

Jennifer's mood hadn't really improved, but it hadn't gotten worse either.

They pulled up to the plane, and the driver stopped.

Jonathan leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Wait right here".

She nodded.

He gingerly crutched to the steps of the plane and spoke with Jack for a few minutes.

Jonathan hopped up the stairs and out of sight.

Jack came over and opened Jennifer's door.

"Miss Edwards, may I ask you something?"

"Certainly".

"It's always been my dream to sweep a lady off her feet. Would it be ok, if I were to sweep you off your feet and carry you upstairs onto the plane?"

She gave him a short smile and nodded.

He easily picked her up and carried her up the stairs and gently set her down next to Jonathan".

"Thank you, Jack".

"No problem. Thank you for helping me live out my fantasy".

A few minutes later, they were taking off and she was fast asleep next to Jonathan.

She woke up about an hour before their plane landed.

She was suddenly in a panic.

"Jonathan, how am I going to get into the house? There are stairs at every entrance".

"Darling, don't get mad. But I called Max the day we got home from the hospital and had him help me with a plan."

"What plan?"

"Susan came by, with a wheelchair, and tested every possible entrance and exit to every room to make sure you would be able to get in and out of the rooms. And it didn't pass, darling. So, I contacted my realtor. She found us a rental home that was 100% wheelchair accessible, in every way. I contacted a moving company and Max supervised while they packed up all of our belongings and then moved us to the new house. The dinner party crowd came and unpacked us. So, when we land, Max will be there to drive us to the new house".

"I'm not mad. Under normal circumstances, I would be livid. But there isn't anything about me or my life that is normal any longer so it's ok. It is what it is, and I'm thankful it's been taken care of".

He leaned over and got his briefcase and pulled out the listing.

"This is the listing she sent us. It's on the beach, and Max says there is a walkway, like a boardwalk that leads out to a paved area on the beach. The pool is an endless pool, and you will be able to swim laps in it all day long if you want".

She looked at the listing and did agree it was a nice house.

"Our bedroom will be downstairs, on one end of the house. And the shower is what they call a walk through, so you can roll in. I will make sure that there is a chair in there for you, and whatever else you need".

"Thank you".

She studied the floor plan for a very long time, committing every detail to memory.

She relaxed a little bit. Not completely, but some.

They landed the plane and a few minutes later, Jack came into the cabin.

"Ok, once more, Miss Jennifer."

"Sure thing, Jack".

"You're light as a feather, you know that?"

"That's what they tell me".

Max was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

He opened the door for them and Jack easily placed her in the car.

Jonathan had a harder time hopping down the stairs, but he managed.

Once they were all loaded, they headed to the house.

"Boy, I really missed you guys. I'm so glad to have you back home".

"We are glad to be back home".

Jennifer was quiet, which Jonathan expected.

"We sure do appreciate you moving houses for us, Max, especially on such short notice".

"No trouble at all, Mr. H."

It was a much shorter drive to the new house, and Max pulled them up into the garage. Jennifer managed to get herself out of the car and into the chair and rolled herself up to the door of the house.

Jonathan was right behind her.

He leaned forward and opened the door for them.

They made their way inside and Max came around and turned on the lights.

"SURPRISE!"

The dinner party crowd was there to welcome them home. There was a huge banner hung in the living room that said "Welcome Home".

Jennifer immediately burst into tears and rolled herself into the bedroom as fast as she possibly could.

Jonathan hung his head and then looked at them.

"I'm sorry everyone. This was so nice. Thank you. I should probably go talk to her, I'll only be a minute".

Susan Kendall stepped forward.

"You know what? Let me. I'm a doctor, I might be able to help more than just a pep talk will".

"Good idea. If she needs me, I'll be right here".

He got settled on the couch and everyone paid attention to him while Susan slipped into the bedroom to talk to Jennifer.

She came over and sat on the bed in front of her.

"Hey, can we talk a minute?"

Jennifer wiped her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

"How about if I talk and you just listen? I know this is a lot to take in. A new house, new set of circumstances, all of that. Add to that the fact that you are still healing which is physically draining and you had a long flight and sweetie, it's no wonder you burst into tears. We didn't mean to upset you, we were just trying to be welcoming and kind".

She took a deep breath.

"I'm not mad that you guys are here. It's just….I told myself that I wasn't going to burden anyone and that's all I've done. I went from being totally independent to being totally dependent and I hate it. Everything is just so complicated".

"You will figure it out, one thing at a time. You aren't on anyone's time limit. You have the same number of hours in a day as the rest of us, and that's just fine. And if you need help, any one of us would be happy to help you."

Susan handed her a Kleenex.

"I swore to myself that I wasn't going to let anyone see me like this. It's bad enough that Jonathan has to see me like this".

"We aren't going to just let you sit in the house, sweetie. We will still come pick you up and take you for pedicures, movies, lunches, drinks, whatever you want".

She nodded.

"It's not the same".

"No, it isn't. But who says it has to be? You're the same person sitting down as you are standing up".

"Now, there's a whole room of people out there who love you, plus one guy who I know for a fact has it bad for you to the point he can't see straight. So, what do you say, we roll out there and you can tell everyone how he saved your life?"

"I'm so embarrassed".

"You have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. You were in a tragic accident, but you are learning how to cope and that's what is important".

Susan eventually talked her into going to the living room. She helped her get settled on the couch next to Jonathan. Everyone was talking to her and asking her about the book tour, and she started to feel a little better.

"Miss Edwards, Mr. H., I hope you don't mind. I had the movers put the other couches upstairs, and they put this one in here. Each end has a recliner that you control with the push of a button."

"Oh Max, these are great. I love this couch!"

"Thanks Max".

Everyone stayed a little longer and then started to head home so they could get settled.

After everyone was gone, Jennifer turned to Jonathan.

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"No, I'm still not 100%. I want to wait till I can manage the crutches without a lot of rib pain".

Max came and sat down in front of them.

"So, there was a call earlier from a home healthcare agency. They are sending a physical therapist to come see you, Miss Edwards, tomorrow at 11. And they are sending a nurse to check your incision, and to check your stitches, and to help out with whatever you guys need tomorrow at 10".

"Thanks".

"Are you guys hungry? I can fix you something to eat if you want".

"I could eat".

"I'm not hungry".

She managed to scoot to the edge of the couch and pull herself into her wheelchair.

"Very good, darling. You are getting better and better every day".

"Oh wonderful. What I always wanted to be good at, being handicapped".

She rolled into the bedroom and changed into a nightgown.

Jonathan limped into the kitchen to see if he could help Max.

"Mr. H., how is Miss Edwards really?"

"Hard to say. She's having a hard time dealing with all of this. I just keep encouraging her that it will be ok and we will deal with it, whatever it is, and that it doesn't change anything between us, but she is still just so withdrawn. I think I might call Susan tomorrow and see if she can recommend anyone, like a specialist."

"Not a bad idea. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to upset her, but her father called earlier today. Said he was just checking on her and he would call back on Sunday, precisely at 6 p.m.".

"Oh, that's ok, Max. She and her father reconciled, at least for the time being. He might be coming to visit soon, even."

"That's wonderful. What's he like?"

"Well, the first time I met him, he was rude and bitter and unkind. This time he was apologetic and understanding and caring".

"Hope they can stay reconciled".

"Me too".

Max finished making Jonathan's pb&j, and carried it and a glass of milk to the bedroom for him.

Jennifer was in the bed, laying there with her eyes closed.

Max set the plates down on the nightstand.

"Ok you two, here's the intercom. Press 1 if you need me, that goes straight into my room".

"Got it Max".

He left them alone and Jonathan hopped over and changed into his pajamas.

He came back and crawled into bed with Jennifer.

"Darling, Max told me in the kitchen that your father called earlier. He left a message that he would call back Sunday at 6 p.m.".

"I'll call him tomorrow".

"Darling, I was thinking. What if we ask Susan if she knows of any doctors who specialize in spinal cord injuries, and see if they will see you and just give you an examination, and treat you if they think they can? I'll fly in whomever she recommends, I'll spare no expense".

"You really think it's going to make a difference?"

"It might, they are making advances in modern medicine all the time".

"Fine, we can do that".

After he finished his sandwich, he put the plate on the nightstand and reached up and turned out the light.

He rolled over gently on his left side and tried to hold her.

Instead, he heard her crying.

"Darling, what is it?"

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. I had plans for us, that will never come true now."

"Like what?"

"Like up until our wedding, we would be having mind-blowing sex every night and it would be just as hot and full of passion as you read about in Cosmopolitan magazine. And then after the wedding, we would try for a baby, when we were ready. And in a couple years, I would be chasing around a little boy or a little girl who looked just like you. And instead, look at me. I can't even stand up, much less chase a kid. I can't crawl on top of you and make love to you when I want, or when you want, and darling, I know you aren't a subscriber, but trust me, there's no column in Cosmopolitan magazine that tells you how to keep your relationship alive when you become paralyzed out of the blue".

"Jennifer, if our relationship needed rescuing, do you think we would be in the same bed right now, in the same house? Do you think I would have offered to fly in specialists?"

"Yes, I do".

"And you're right. That was a trick question. My point is the same one I've been making all along. This doesn't change anything about our relationship. I love you no matter what. You could gain 500 pounds and I would still love you. You could lose an eye and I would still love you. You could even go on a murderous rampage and I would still love you. I would only be able to tell you on Saturdays and Sundays at the prison, but I would still love you".

"Promise?"

"Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die".

"I just want to feel my legs again. I want to be me again".

"I know, baby. And I have no doubt that in time, you will".

They did some maneuvering and snuggled up together.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with me like this, honey."

"I'm not. Like the doctor said, had I not pushed you out of the way, you wouldn't be here right now. I'll take you any way I can have you, except for comatose and dead".

He gave her a few kisses.

"I love you".

"I love you too".

He held her tight as they fell asleep.

***The next morning***

The physical therapist showed up right on time and did a wonderful assessment of Jennifer. Afterwards, she worked her really hard and put her through a lot of exercises aimed at regaining or maintaining lower body strength and core strength. Jennifer was completely exhausted when she was finished and climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.

Jonathan took this time to call Susan Kendall.

"Hi, Jonathan, is everything alright?"

"Yes and no. I'm worried about Jennifer. She's so withdrawn, and that isn't like her. And she's emotional, which is to be expected. I promised her I would find her a spinal cord specialist, so I am calling to see if you know of one and if you think there's anything we should do in the meantime."

"Where is Jennifer now?"

"Asleep. The physical therapist came and really gave her a workout".

"Wonderful. So, off the top of my head, I would recommend the spinal care rehab facility in Pasadena. They are excellent, they have inpatient and outpatient programs. I am happy to write her a referral. Another thing, is to have her do a couple tablespoons of turmeric mixed in with orange juice every morning. Turmeric can also be mixed in to whatever she eats, for the most part, but she will get the best benefits of it from a shot in the morning. And if she can't stomach that, you can get empty capsules at the pharmacy, and fill them yourself. She can mix turmeric with an equal part of raw honey, and take it in pill form. I would take 6 pills every morning."

"We will start that right away".

"I will have a messenger send you the referral to the spinal rehab, and I will fax it to them as well".

"Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate this".

"No problem. Tell her I'm here if she wants to have some good old-fashioned girl talk or needs anything".

"I will. Thank you, Susan".

They hung up and he returned to Jennifer. She was still sleeping.

He climbed into bed and stretched out beside her and took a nap with her.

As soon as he wrapped his arms around her, she relaxed and breathed a little deeper, content to be all nestled in his arms.


	35. Chapter 35

***Later that afternoon***

Jennifer woke up around 3 and just laid there with Jonathan for a bit.

He woke up a few minutes later.

"Hi beautiful. How did you sleep?"

"Good, you?"

"Better when I was next to you".

She leaned over and kissed him.

"Darling, while you were sleeping, I called Susan and got a recommendation for a spinal specialist. She told me about a lovely place up in Pasadena that I think we should check out. She also said that if you wanted to add in a homeopathic cure, you could try turmeric."

"Turmeric?"

"Yeah. She said you could do a glass of OJ with a tablespoon of turmeric every morning, or we can make you some turmeric and honey pills".

"How many pills would I have to take?"

"She said 6 every morning".

"I'm willing to give it a shot".

"Want to go to the kitchen? Max said he was making your favorite dinner tonight".

She nodded.

She pulled herself up and grabbed her hand poles. She managed to balance without any help and made her way, albeit slowly, to the kitchen. Jonathan was right behind her on his crutches.

"Hi you two. I didn't know you two was up. Miss Edwards, I'm making taco salads for dinner tonight, just the way you like them".

"Smells wonderful, Max".

Jennifer balanced on one pole and reached up and got the turmeric out of the cabinet. She made her way to the refrigerator and got the orange juice and figured out a way to hold it and the cane poles and make her way back to the counter.

Jonathan was trying his best to not interfere, because he knew it was important to her to be independent.

She grabbed a cup and a spoon, and then mixed up the turmeric mixture.

Jonathan hobbled over to the fridge and got a beer and then came back and stood next to her.

"Cheers darling".

"Cheers".

She drank her shot of turmeric and oj and grimaced.

"That is the most vile substance I believe I have ever tasted".

"Ok, well at least now you know. We will get you the pills, darling".

"I'm not ever drinking that stuff ever".

She moved over to the sink and poured a glass of water and drained it in about 2 seconds.

Jonathan decided to distract her for a bit.

"Darling, how about a game of gin rummy?"

"Sure, I'm up for that".

Max looked over.

"Cards are in the drawer of the end table in the living room, Mr. H."

"Got it".

He went and got the cards and came back to the kitchen table where she was now sitting.

They played a few hands of rummy while they waited on Max to finish making dinner.

She beat him a few times and then he made a comeback and beat her a couple times.

By the time they were finished, dinner was ready.

Over dinner, he leaned over and grabbed her hand.

"Darling, hear me out. What if we both go see Susan in the morning? Have her do some x-rays and compare them to the last ones we had done in New York? That way, we will know where we stand, and you will have a fresh set to take to the spinal rehab doctor when you go".

She thought about it and nodded.

"After dinner, can we take a ride down the boardwalk? I want to watch the sunset outside".

"That sounds like a wonderful idea".

Max insisted on doing the dishes. Jennifer disappeared into the bedroom and a few minutes later, she emerged in her wheelchair.

"Darling?"

"In here, baby".

She rolled into the kitchen.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I am".

He grabbed his crutches and followed her outside. Their back patio had a gate that opened to the boardwalk. They made their way down to the end and then onto the paved part. There were some chairs sitting on the paved part, so Jonathan sat in one and Jennifer sat next to him.

He reached over and took her hand and she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

They watched the sunset and then made their way back to their patio and into the house.

Jennifer made her way into the bedroom and began to get her pajamas out.

Jonathan came in right behind her.

"I would give anything to be able to sink into a bubble bath".

"Want me to call the nurses agency to come help you?"

"No. I want to be able to do it on my own. And I just can't".

"Darling, you said something to me a few months ago. Do you remember telling me that it was ok that I hadn't loved anyone since Pam died, but that it wasn't ok that I wasn't letting myself be loved in return?"

"I remember".

"I appreciate that you want to be independent. But baby, part of accepting what has happened means that you are going to have let go of some of your independence. And in this situation, you might have to let people do things for you that you would normally do for yourself".

"I just want to be myself again. At the moment, I don't recognize this person. This isn't who I am".

She slipped her nightgown on and then climbed into bed.

He slipped his pajamas on and climbed into bed beside her.

She scooted closer to him and snuggled up to his chest.

"I just want us back".

"I know, baby. Me too".

***The next morning***

Jennifer was up early and managed to take a shower all by herself, without any help.

Jonathan got up just as she was coming out of the shower.

"Darling, can you help me with the waterproof sleeves?"

"Sure".

She helped him get the sleeve on his arm, and then worked on his foot cast.

Afterwards, he took a quick shower and then came and joined her for breakfast.

"Darling, what time is our appointment with Susan?"

"1. Your physical therapist is coming at 10:30, and then we are meeting Susan at 1, and then after that, we are going to head up to the Pasadena rehab center."

"Hopefully it will be a good appointment".

"Mr. H., you want I should drive you two to the appointments?"

"Please, Max".

Jennifer went and got ready for the physical therapist to come again. She was a nice lady, young, about 24 years old. Her name was Mallory, and she had a very aggressive personality.

Max let her in and showed her to the bedroom.

Jonathan and Jennifer were laying on the bed watching TV.

"Hi, I'm Mallory. I'm the physical therapist".

"Hi, I'm Jonathan. This is Jennifer".

She read through the case file she had been given and then looked at Jennifer.

"Ok, I want to start out with some tests. I'm going to touch this metal wand against your feet and legs. Tell me if you feel it".

She touched several spots, on both legs, but Jennifer didn't feel anything.

"Ok, now I'm going to test your mobility. Can you roll from side to side?"

"Oh yes, that's easy".

Jennifer demonstrated several times how she could roll back and forth.

"Can you lift either of your legs?"

Jennifer tried but wasn't able to.

"Ok, that gives us a starting point. Now, I'm going to bend your legs up towards your chest and I'm going to time you to see how long you can hold that position".

She managed to hold it for almost 5 minutes.

"Wonderful!"

Mallory put her through some exercises and really pushed her.

They worked for almost an hour.

At the very end, she lifted her and put her on the floor on her back.

"Ok, this is the final exercise for today. You are going to pull yourself up on to the bed all on your own, without using your chair or your hand poles".

"What? I cannot do that".

"If you want to learn to walk again from scratch, you need to be willing to fall on your ass a few times along the way. And when you fall, the first thing you do is get back up. So, get up".

"This is ridiculous".

"Sir, please. She needs to concentrate. Let her figure it out".

"Mallory, I know we don't know each other well. But let me just explain-I cannot do this. I am strong, but not that strong."

"You're going to be down there till you figure it out".

It was killing Jonathan to not be able to help her.

Jennifer was becoming more and more frustrated.

"This is ridiculous! You cannot make me stay down here on the floor. I have a doctor's appointment at 1, you know".

"Then you better get moving".

Suddenly, Jennifer got angry.

She felt along the side of the bed and found the edge of the bedrail. She used that push herself up some and then reached up and grabbed on to the bedspread and pulled herself up further on the bed. Jonathan held on tight to the covers, which kept them from slipping when she pulled on them.

Finally, she scooted up next to him and collapsed on her pillow.

"See! You did it! You figured it out! Good job, Jennifer".

Jonathan leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Good job, baby".

"Ok, that concludes our session for today. See you next time".

Jennifer barely managed a wave in her direction.

"Darling, want to go eat some lunch?"

"Too…..tired".

"Want to nap till it's time to leave?"

She nodded.

He set an alarm and then went to go eat lunch with Max.

"How is Miss Edwards? Sounded like that lady was yelling at her".

"I think she would call it motivating, as opposed to yelling. Jennifer's plum worn out from that."

"Do you think this is helping her?"

"I don't know Max. I don't necessarily think it's not helping, and it's better than her not doing anything".

He heard the alarm going off so he went to wake her up.

"Darling, it's time to get up. We have to go see Susan".

She slowly sat up and swiveled her hips so she could get into the wheelchair.

She rolled herself to the bathroom so she could freshen up some, and then met him in the kitchen.

Max drove them to Susan's office and helped them inside.

She called them back right away, and took full body x-rays of both of them.

They were in the exam room when she came back.

"Hi".

"Hi".

She lowered the exam table and Jennifer hopped on up there.

"First, I want to check your stitches".

She examined the ones in her head first.

"Great news, they are almost completely healed and dissolved. Your incision is closed and your hair is starting to grow back where they shaved it".

She checked the one on her thigh next.

"These are looking good too, but they will take more time". She rebandaged it for her and then pulled up her x-rays.

"Ok, so I'm very encouraged by what I'm seeing on the x-rays. I'm not a spinal expert, by any means, but there is less swelling evident on the x-rays. Your vertebrae fractures are almost healed as well. You have made great progress".

"Thank you".

"Now, I wrote you a referral to the Pasadena spinal rehab. And I recommended that you get their intensive rehab program, which isn't as bad as it sounds. Intensive in this situation just means you aren't physically bound by a specific number of sessions. Also, I'm recommending that you get a TENS unit. This is something you can do while you are laying in bed at night, or watching tv. You just hook it up and put the nodes on your back and let it stimulate the nerves. How did you like the turmeric?"

"It was disgusting. We are going to get the stuff to make the pills as soon as we can get to the pharmacy".

"Good. You can also try mixing it in with a vanilla milkshake. Sometimes the sweetness covers up the taste of the turmeric".

Jennifer nodded.

"Ok, you two. Switch places".

Jonathan held the wheelchair steady so Jennifer could get into it and then they switched.

She put his x-rays up on the wall.

"Good news, your lung contusions, ribs, and liver and kidney abrasions are all healed. I want to take your arm cast off and do another x-ray."

"What about the foot cast?"

"I'm almost positive that needs to stay on a little longer".

She got out the motorized cutter and cut his arm cast off.

After it was completely off, she gave him a warm washcloth and let him wash his arm off.

"Now, slowly bend it back and forth, letting me know how it feels".

He did so, with very little pain.

She sent him to x-ray with her attendant.

Once they were alone, Susan looked at Jennifer.

"Ok, now tell me how you are really doing".

"I'm a mess. I just want my life back and I can't for the life of me figure out what Jonathan still sees in me."

"Jennifer, I've known Jonathan for a long time. Even through the Pam years. And yes, he did love her. But trust me when I say this-he loves you too. Either he didn't show it with Pam, or he loves you more than he loved her. Just let him be there for you, whatever it looks like".

"I just feel like I've failed him".

"How have you failed him?"

"Because of me, we aren't as intimate as we were before this happened. He deserves someone who can, and I can't".

"Have you tried?"

She shook her head.

"He couldn't either, because of the broken ribs and I didn't want to put pressure on him".

"Ok, so you were both healing. So maybe now, you can give it a shot. Just trust your instincts."

"He deserves a wife who can cook for him, clean for him, wait on him hand and foot".

"Jennifer, if you weren't paralyzed, do you really think you would be doing all those things?"

"Probably not. But at least I would be able to".

"I promise you, if Jonathan wanted a woman who could do those things, he could have his pick. He wants you, Jennifer."

Just then, the attendant opened the door and Jonathan crutched in and sat on the table.

"Hi. Miss me?"

"Immensely".

The attendant handed her the x-rays and Susan put them up on the wall.

"Ok, so I think your arm is healed enough that you can go without the cast. I am however, going to give you a functional arm brace".

She got one out of the cabinet and showed him how to put it on.

"I want you to wear this for 4 weeks, taking it off only to shower and to sleep. No heavy lifting, no overdoing it on exercise. Light weightlifting is fine, pushups are not".

"Got it".

After their appointment was over, Max drove them to the Pasadena Spinal Rehab center.

Jennifer was taken back almost immediately.

After several rounds of tests and more x-rays, they set up an appointment for her the next day in her home and promised her that all the equipment she would need would be delivered.

Max drove them home and Jennifer immediately headed to the bedroom to take a nap.

Jonathan went and napped with her for a couple hours. Both of them were extremely exhausted, both emotionally and physically.

Jennifer slept through dinner and all night long. Jonathan woke up to eat and then came back to bed and slept with his arms around her all night.

Both of them dreamed of running a race, but never being able to find the finish line.


	36. Chapter 36

***Two weeks later***

Jennifer was getting stronger every day. The downstairs guest bedroom was now a workout room/therapy room, just for her. There was an inversion table, a motorized exercise bike, and several balance machines.

The wedding was in 6 weeks, so she was trying to focus on that. Jonathan was returning to work today. He had called the wedding venue and had explained everything. They had promised they would make everything accessible.

She had a lengthy to-do list for his first day back at work. She was going to type up their wedding programs, write her vows, and figure out the music for the ceremony.

She woke up when he did and went to the kitchen to take her turmeric. She had gotten so much better balancing on the hand poles and had even started shifting her hips as she moved forwards.

"Darling, take it easy today, ok? Try not to overdo it".

"I'll be fine, darling. I promise".

"Do you have physical therapy today?"

"Yes, at 1".

"Good. I hope it goes well. I will be home around 5".

He leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you".

"I love you too".

Jennifer had completed her to-do list except for the vows by the time the physical therapist got there.

"How about some pool work today?"

"Yes, I would like that".

She went to the bedroom and changed into her suit, and then grabbed a towel.

They went out back to the side yard where the pool was.

"Ok, so it looks like you have an endless pool. That's great, that's very helpful. So, I'm going to get in the pool with you, and then we will figure out how many strokes equal a lap".

It didn't take them long to get started, and Jennifer was a fast swimmer, which was very helpful. It worked out that 12 strokes equaled a lap.

"Ok, so let's see how many laps you can do. I'll stay in the shallow end, just in case you need me".

The therapist wrapped the flotation belt around Jennifer's waist and then let her start swimming. She swam for 2 ½ hours straight, without stopping.

Afterwards, the therapist took her back into the house, helped her get settled into bed, and then got her set up with the TENS machine.

"Ok, I'm going to set an alarm for you for 1 hour. When it goes off, turn the machine off. When this light on the machine turns red, you can take the nodes off".

"Thank you".

Jennifer was looking forward to the nap she was about to take.

Max showed the therapist out, and Jennifer fell fast asleep.

When the alarm went off, she reached over, turned it off and kept sleeping.

Jonathan got home at 6 thanks to a late meeting, and found her still asleep.

He leaned over and kissed her and woke her up.

"Hi".

"Hi gorgeous".

She sat up and realized that the TENS unit was still on.

"Oh no! I was supposed to turn this off". She switched it off and then pulled the nodes off.

"How about some dinner?"

"Yes, please".

She used the hand poles to go into the kitchen.

"Darling, sometimes at the office, we have people come in to talk to our employees about various things. Today was one of those days. I had a lovely chat with a lady who is an acupuncturist. I explained to her that you and I had been in an accident and that you had lost sensation in your legs. She mentioned that acupuncture might help your nerves start to regain the feeling".

"Oh? That's interesting. I never thought about acupuncture".

"Well, she's coming here tomorrow at 10, to talk to you about it. I asked her to explain it all to you, and let you decide. If you decide yes, then your first session will be tomorrow while she's here".

"Are you getting it done too?"

"No, she said that she can't do much for a broken foot".

"I see".

"And I was also thinking, tomorrow night, why don't you and I go to dinner? We haven't had a date in a long time".

"Sure".

"I'll make all the arrangements".

After a nice dinner, they climbed back into bed and turned on a movie.

Jonathan pulled Jennifer in front of him and gave her a nice backrub.

"Oh, that feels amazing".

"Your shoulders are so tense".

He rubbed on her shoulders for a good while and then they switched. It took some maneuvering but she was able to swing her legs to the side so he could lean back against her. She rubbed his shoulders for about an hour and then gave him a chest rub.

"What do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"Well after the acupuncturist leaves, I think I might go do some shopping. Maybe get a pedicure".

"Is Max going to take you?"

"No, Susan is. She called today and asked me if I wanted to, and I told her I would let her know in the morning".

She stopped scratching his chest to scratch her back for a minute.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, my back just itches, that's all".

He moved behind her and scratched her back. She eventually fell asleep on his chest.

He covered them with the blanket and held her all night long.

***The next morning***

Jennifer and Jonathan had breakfast together and then he headed to the office.

"Have fun with Susan, I'll see you tonight. I love you".

"I love you too".

She gave him several kisses and then he left.

The acupuncturist arrived right on time. Max let her in.

"Hi, I'm Jennifer".

"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Amber".

They sat down on the couch and Jennifer explained everything to her.

"Ok, so I have a massage table out in my car. I'm going to run get it".

"Oh no need. I have one in the guest room right here".

They slowly made their way in there.

"Oh, this will be perfect. Ok, so I'm going to give you a few minutes to get undressed. You can keep your bra on, but I will need your lower back to be completely uncovered. We are going to start face down, and do treatment on that side first".

Jennifer undressed and then managed to get on the table. She was all ready when Amber came back in.

"Ok, so I want to do some cupping techniques on your lower back."

"What is that?"

"I take a glass jar, oil your skin, introduce heat to the jar, and then put it on your skin and it pulls the trapped blood up to the surface".

"Interesting".

She cupped several places all over Jennifer's lower back, and then let her sit there and rest for about an hour.

Afterwards, she removed the jars, and then had Jennifer turn over. She placed some needles in various points along Jennifer's body. Some places Jennifer felt the needle, and others she did not.

"Ok, so I'm going to have you rest like this for about 45 minutes. And I'm going to give you these crystals to hold".

As soon as she put them in her hands, Jennifer felt vibrations running through her arms.

"Um….am I hooked up to electricity or something?"

"No, that's the energy moving. Your chakras are completely blocked, sweetie. We are unblocking them".

Amber set up some diffusing oils in the corner and then turned the lights out and went and sat in the living room.

Jennifer could hardly keep her eyes open while she laid there.

Amber came back when the time was up and took the needles out.

"How do you feel?"

"Good, good."

"Wonderful. Now you're back will probably be a little tender tonight, that's normal. And the marks will go away in a few days".

"So how often do you think I should see you?"

"Every other day for a month or so".

"Sounds good. Thank you".

Max saw her out and then Jennifer went and changed clothes and called Susan.

"I'll be there in an hour".

"Wonderful".

For convenience sake, she decided to take her wheelchair.

She transferred to the car easily, and folded the chair down and put it in the floorboard next to her.

They started with a pedicure. Jennifer picked out a sparkly pink for her toes and had no problems lifting herself up into the pedicure chair. After a glorious pedicure, they were ready to go. Everyone stared at her while she got herself into her chair and wheeled herself to the door. They headed to lunch next.

"How about L'Orangerie?"

"Oh, I haven't been there in ages! That sounds divine".

Susan valet parked the car, and Jennifer got herself out and rolled up to the door. Susan held the door for her and then Jennifer rolled inside, with Susan right behind her.

"Hi, two please".

"Yes, Dr. Kendall. Well unfortunately, your regular table isn't available, will another table be suitable?"

"Sure".

Jennifer noticed that the host had not looked at her directly one time in the 5 minutes they had already been there.

"Right this way".

He led them all the way to the back of the restaurant by the kitchen.

"Here is a nice, quiet table for you ladies. Enjoy".

They tried to make the best of it and had a nice lunch.

Susan paid the check, even though Jennifer objected.

"No, this is my treat. Now, what stores would you like to hit up?"

"Well, I was thinking. Jonathan wants to take me to dinner tonight, and I think I might want a new dress to wear for the occasion."

"Perfect, I know just the place".

They made their way to the front of the restaurant. Even the host was watching them, Susan was the only one who bothered to move chairs out of the way for Jennifer.

"Thank you ladies, please come back soon".

Susan just glared at him as they made their way through the door.

She got them settled in the car and then drove them to this new little boutique that had just opened.

"What is this?"

"Scarlett Vines. They are from New York. Their slogan is "Let the world see you from all angles". They have lots of really cute stuff".

"Wonderful".

They went inside and checked it out. Jennifer found several really nice dresses.

"I think I'm going to get a fitting room".

She wheeled over to the fitting room attendant.

"Hi, I need a fitting room please".

"I'm sorry, we don't have one available".

The attendant turned and walked away before Jennifer could protest.

She wheeled back to Susan.

"They don't have any available".

"What? We are the only ones in here. Of course, they do."

"That's what she said".

"Hang on, let me ask them".

Susan took the dresses from Jennifer, and shuffled them a bit in her arms.

She walked up to the attendant, while Jennifer pretended to look at the sunglasses rack.

"Hi, I'd like a fitting room please".

"Right this way, ma'am".

Jennifer was incensed.

The attendant gave Susan a number to hang on the outside of the door and they made their way to the fitting rooms.

Susan hung the dresses in the fitting room and then Jennifer rolled inside.

"I'll be right out here".

"Thank you".

While she was waiting, Susan looked in the other dressing rooms. They were all a tight fit, especially if you had a wheelchair. There was one larger one that was marked as the handicapped dressing room. She touched the door to see if it was locked and it swung open. It was filled with old mannequin's, and empty racks.

Jennifer decided to get two of the dresses. She came out and held them up for Susan.

"Oh, that's darling. I think I might get that one too".

Susan ran to get one off the rack and met her at the register.

Jennifer was talking to the saleswoman.

"I'm sorry. The tag says that dress is $84.99, not $124.99".

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Whatever it rings up is what the price is".

"I see".

Jennifer decided to get it anyways and paid the bill.

Susan was at the next register. They scanned her dress and it rang up $84.99.

"You know what? I've changed my mind. Thanks anyways".

She and Jennifer made their way to the door and Susan held it open for her. After they were in the car, they headed back to the beach house. Jennifer had become very quiet.

"Jennifer, I'm sorry. I feel like I picked the worst places possible for us to go today".

"What do you mean?"

"Well, everyone stared at us at the pedicure place, and the host was dismissive of you at the restaurant and then the treatment of you in the boutique was horrible, absolutely horrible".

Jennifer turned to look out the window.

"You noticed that too, huh?"

"Yeah, I did. And I'm calling their corporate office. They had no right to deny you a fitting room and no right to upcharge you".

"How do you know they upcharged me?"

"When I got to the counter, you were telling the lady it should have been $84.99. She told you there wasn't anything she could do about it. But when they rang up my dress, the exact same dress you had, it was $84.99".

"I see".

"I just refuse to support discrimination like that, so that's why I put the dress back".

She pulled them up into the driveway and honked the horn. Max came and opened the garage and she pulled on in.

He helped her out of the car.

"Bye Susan, thank you for a lovely afternoon".

"I'll talk to you soon. Enjoy dinner with Jonathan".

She wheeled into the house and went straight to her bedroom.

Max was in the living room when the phone rang.

"Hello, may I speak to Jennifer Edwards?"

"One moment, let me see if she's available".

He went to her bedroom door and saw that she was laying on the bed crying.

He crept back to the phone.

"I'm sorry, she's not available. May I take a message?"

He wrote down the message and then hung up.

He called Jonathan at the office.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. H. Listen, there's something wrong with Miss Edwards. She left with Susan and when she came back, she headed straight to the room and she's in there upset".

"Ok thanks Max. I'll be home soon".

He hung up and called Susan. She filled him in and his heart sank.

"I'm sorry Jonathan, I feel so responsible".

"It's not your fault, Susan. I just hate it happened to her. Thank you for taking her out though, I appreciate it".

He got home around 5:30.

"Hey, you ready to go?"

"I guess".

She wasn't crying but she wasn't happy, either.

"So, I asked a few people at the office about restaurants we should try, in hopes of finding a new place. They suggested one about 30 minutes away from here, called The Cactus Blossom. They said it's really good. They also recommended one a little further out, that's a seafood restaurant. I called ahead, and they are both wheelchair accessible".

"Let's go to the one farther out".

"You got it".

He leaned over and gave her several kisses.

"I missed you today".

"I missed you too".

They got ready and made their way to the car.

"We will be home later, Max".

"Have fun you two".

She told him all about the acupuncture appointment while they drove. He was skeptical but glad that she was willing to give it a try.

"What does it feel like?"

"Darling, when we get home tonight, I'll get my sewing kit and poke you with the straight pins. It's kind of like that".

"Are you crazy?! That hurts".

She chuckled.

"It wasn't too bad. The crazy part was the vibrations".

"She made you vibrate?"  
"Yeah, she said my chakras are blocked, and that holding the crystals after the needles were in place would unblock them".

"Interesting".

They had a lovely dinner at the seafood restaurant. It was called Anchor, and it was upscale food in a dive bar setting.

"We need to come back here, darling".

"I agree. This is the best seafood linguine I've ever had".

They looked over the dessert menu and decided to order some.

After the waiter walked away, Jonathan took Jennifer's hand.

"Darling, I have to tell you something. There's a meeting that I had today, about Hart Industries acquiring a couple of plants in Wisconsin and Texas. I have to go check them out. Unfortunately, the only time that I can meet with the plant supervisors is the week of our wedding".

"You're going out of town the week of our wedding?"

"Just for a few days. I'll leave Monday and come back Thursday".

"Can I come with you?"

"I don't think that's wise, darling. You'll miss your physical therapy, and I have no idea what the facilities are like".

She thought about it and nodded.

"Also, I talked to the director of the inn where the wedding is today. She said that moving the chairs over to make the aisle wider isn't an issue. But it's a cobblestone aisle, so she thinks you should use your wheelchair to come up and down the aisle for safety reasons. I agree with her that it would be safer".

She nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want to postpone the wedding till I can walk again?"

"I will if you want to, but darling, if we postpone it for say 3 months, and nothing changes, what then? We can't keep postponing it forever".

"You're right. I guess it's time for me to just accept that this won't be the wedding or the honeymoon I had planned".

They ate their dessert and then headed home. He put the top down on the way home and held her hand the whole way.

When they got home, she headed to the bedroom to put on her nightgown. He spent a few minutes talking to Max and then went and joined her.

He climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Darling, you didn't tell me how shopping with Susan went".

"I don't want to talk about it".

"Was she ugly to you?"

"No, she wasn't. But everyone else was. Oh darling, it was just awful. Nobody looked at me. They all looked away from me or above me. We went to get our toes done first. And everyone stared as I got myself in the chair and out of the chair. And I quietly explained to the lady that I couldn't feel what she was doing, so she could just put my feet in the water and take them out when she needed to. And she gave me the most awkward, pitiful stare. Then we went to L'Orangerie, and they had like 4 tables filled. But they insisted on seating us at the very back of the restaurant out of sight. And the host saw that chairs were in the way of where I was going, but made no effort to move them. He wouldn't even look at me directly, darling. It was like I was invisible. And then, we went to a boutique. And I found some things I wanted to try on. So, I asked for a fitting room. I was told they didn't have one. Susan went and asked, and they let her have one right away. So she gave it to me and then nosed around and discovered that the handicapped stall was filled with mannequins. And they overcharged me for my dress. She bought the exact one and they didn't overcharge her. I've never felt so dismissed and alone in my life".

He wrapped his arms around her and held her.

"I'm sorry, darling. I hate that happened to you".

"I suppose if I had driven drunk or dove into the shallow end of a pool, that I wouldn't have any right to complain. But I didn't ask for this, you didn't ask for this and people shouldn't be treated this way".

"I completely agree with you. Want me to buy the places and fire them?"

She gave him a slight grin.

"No, but it will be a long time before I go back to L'Orangerie or that boutique".

"I don't blame you".

He climbed out of bed and put on his pajamas and then came back.

They watched the news through the sports and then turned the TV off.

She snuggled up to him.

He rolled them onto her back and kissed her.

"Want to give it a shot?"

"I'm scared".

"It's ok. If we can't, we can't. But we'll never know till we try".

She nodded.

It was slow at first, but they managed to make love and Jennifer was actually able to enjoy it. There weren't any fireworks like normal, but it was nice.

They fell asleep together, all snuggled up.


	37. Chapter 37

***Three weeks before the wedding***

Jennifer had gotten so good at the hand poles that she hardly used her wheelchair anymore except when they went out. She was in better spirits these days, much better compared to the beginning.

She and Jonathan were spending a lazy day at home. She had just finished swimming some laps and Jonathan had just come back from seeing Susan.

She found him in the bedroom.

"Darling, when did you get home?"

He came over and kissed her.

"Hi. Just now".

She balanced on her hand poles as she kissed him a few times.

"I'm glad you're back".

She made her way into the bathroom.

"What did Susan say?"

"She cut my cast off and cleared me to start running again".

"Oh, lucky you. I miss running, so much".

Jonathan could have kicked himself for bringing up her favorite sport.

She came out of the bathroom in her robe and saw the look on his face.

"I'm sorry, darling".

"It's alright, darling. No worries".

The phone rang, and he walked over and answered it.

"Hello? Hi. Yes, she's right here."

"Darling, it's for you. It's your father".

"Oh good. I meant to call him this morning".

She took the phone from him and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hello, Pa?"

"Hi sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Good. Listen, there's a colleague of mine that mentioned a clinic to me that has been making great strides in nerve regeneration for people with paralysis. I was wondering if you would be willing to go check it out".

"Where is it?"

"Phoenix. I'll fly there and meet you there, and we can talk to them together. Jonathan can go with us if he'd like."

"How soon can they see us?"

"I have an appointment for day after tomorrow for a consult. If they determine that you qualify, they will schedule it this week".

"Sure, I'm willing."

"Wonderful!"

She wrote down the information he gave her and then they chatted a little longer and then hung up.

She filled Jonathan in.

"Want to go with us?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm afraid I cannot. I have a board meeting day after tomorrow that I can't miss. But, I'll talk to Jack and see if I can't fly out afterwards".

"Good."

She went and got her laptop and researched nerve regeneration and tried to figure out what to expect.

Jonathan was so happy to see her interested in something again.

***Two days later***

Jonathan drove Jennifer to the airport on his way to the office.

"Now darling, I arranged for a car service to take you to your hotel and also back and forth to the clinic. Here's the information and phone number in case you have to call them".

He handed her a business card.

"Thank you".

He pulled them up to the tarmac and parked and went and helped her out of the car. She still had some trouble with steep stairs, so he picked her up and carried her up the steps.

"Jonathan, you stole my job".

"Sorry Jack, she's all mine".

He helped her get settled into her seat and then kissed her goodbye.

"I'll see you tonight, baby. I love you".

"I love you too".

She kissed him a few more times and then he left.

"Jonathan, I'll have her in Phoenix in about 2 hours, and then I'll be back here 2 hours after that. We can leave again for Phoenix tonight anytime after 7".

"Wonderful. I'll keep you updated. Take care of her Jack".

"Sure thing".

"I'll be fine, darling".

"I hope so, I plan to marry you in a couple weeks".

They left right on time and landed in Phoenix with no problems. Her father was waiting for her at the hotel.

"Hi sweetheart".

"Hi Pa".

He was very impressed with her abilities on the hand poles.

"Did you bring your wheelchair too?"

"Yes, I did. What time is our appointment?"

"In 1 hour".

"Wonderful. Jonathan reserved us the car service, to take us back and forth. He's going to fly in tonight and join us".

"Great. It will be good to see him. I take it he's healing well?"

"He got both his casts off and to look at him, you'd never know he had been hit by a bus. He was incredibly fortunate that only part of the front of the bus hit him and not more. We both were".

"I agree."

They got settled in their rooms and then headed to the clinic. She decided to use the wheelchair and save her strength.

They had a lovely consultation with the doctor and Jennifer asked lots of questions. They drew some blood from her and her father and did full body x-rays of both of them with a special machine.

Jennifer and her father were in the exam room when the doctor came back in.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Martinez. I have been looking over your blood results and the x-rays. The x-rays we use, aren't traditional x-rays. These ones highlight the nerves in the body. This allows us to see which nerves would be best for placement and which ones aren't working and so on. Jennifer, you are an excellent candidate for a donor nerve surgery. But I'm sorry Mr. Edwards, you are not a candidate for donating the nerve. Your blood type and tissue type doesn't match Miss Edwards enough to make it possible".

Jennifer's heart sank.

"But we still have another option. We can do a nerve graft, where you donate part of a nerve to yourself and we take it apart and sort of piece it together with the broken nerve and regenerate it that way".

"What's the recovery time for that?"

"A few days to a week for most people. You will be required to take immunosuppressants for a while, but not forever".

"I see".

Jennifer agreed to do the nerve graft, and they scheduled it for the next morning.

"If this works, you will know within the next few weeks. You will gradually regain feeling in your legs. But I must warn you, take it easy. Just because you can feel your legs, that doesn't mean you can take off running on them and be fine".

"I understand".

"Have you been doing any physical exercise since your paralysis?"

"Yes, I swim laps for about 2 hours a day in my pool. Physical therapy comes to my home and stretches me, flexes me, all that. I have been using a TENS unit at night and I've been using an inversion table every night and a motorized stationary bicycle".

"Very well. You are more prepared for this than most of our patients".

They had her fill out some paperwork.

"Ok, so now, all that's left is for us to inject a dye into your lower back and watch it with a glow light."

"For what?"

"We need it to travel to the nerve that's not working so we know which one to operate on".

They took her to the operating room and got her prepped and then gave her the injection. It was very painful, but she got through it.

The whole thing took about 35 minutes and then she was allowed to go.

"Here are your pre-op instructions. We will see you tomorrow at 12".

"Thank you".

She and her father used the car service and headed back to the hotel.

It was almost 5 p.m.

"How about dinner in the hotel restaurant?"

"Sure. I'm famished".

They had the restaurant practically to themselves, and enjoyed every minute. As soon as they were done, she headed upstairs to her room.

She texted Jonathan after she got settled.

"Room 724. I'm exhausted, so I'm going to nap till you get here. I love you".

***A couple hours later***

Jonathan arrived in Phoenix around 9 and headed to the hotel.

Stephen was in the lobby having a drink.

"Jonathan, so glad to see you".

"Hello Mr. Edwards, good to see you too".

"Jennifer is up in her room. Today was long and hard on her, but they promised that they could help her".

"Good. I'm glad she's willing to give it a shot".

"I never got a chance to tell her, but I'm in room 512 if she needs me."

"I'll pass it along. What time is everything tomorrow?"

"I think they said be there at 10, and it starts at 12. She can't have anything after midnight tonight".

"Wonderful. Well, I'm beat, so I'm going to head up to the room. We will see you tomorrow".

"See you tomorrow son".

Jonathan got an extra key from the front desk and then headed up to the room.

She was sleeping peacefully.

He turned on the bathroom light and then turned on the lamp next to the bed.

He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

"Wake up sunshine".

She stretched and rolled over towards him.

"Hi. When did you get here?"

"About 20 minutes ago. I was downstairs talking to your dad".

"How was your meeting?"

"Long. Boring. All I could think about was you".

"How sweet".

"There's just one problem. I have to fly out for next week's meeting on Friday. We added another plant and a warehouse in Louisiana. But, this is my last work trip till after our honeymoon".

"Which we still haven't booked or planned".

"We will, we will".

She sat up and adjusted the pillows.

"I brought you a salad, did you eat yet?"

"Yeah, earlier. What time is it? I cannot eat after 12".

"It's 10:30".

He changed into his pajamas and then sat down and unwrapped their dinner. He had eaten on the plane, but saved ½ of it to eat with her.

"So, tell me what the clinic said".

"Well, they said that you can do this thing where you donate a nerve to someone else. So they took blood from me and Pa but we weren't a match. So, then they said that I could donate part of a nerve to myself and they would piece it together with the broken nerve. And then they said they wanted me to get an injection, so they could see which nerves were broken and which one to fix. And I did".

"And?"

"And it hurt like hell, darling. It was the absolute, most painful injection I think I've ever had".

"Where did they inject it at?"

"The center of my back".

"Did they tell you what the recovery time was?"

"No, they didn't. I didn't see any patient rooms, though. Maybe it's all outpatient".

She scarfed down her salad and then he went and took the trash to the chute at the end of the hall.

She was in bed when he got back, and he climbed in and joined her.

She snuggled up to his chest.

"I love you. I hope that I can be the best wife to you, even with my limitations".

"You will be. I love you even more with your limitations".

"Darling, what if this doesn't work?"

"Then we will go home and count our blessings and keep working hard to find something that will work".

She was quiet for a minute, which he knew meant that she was anxious.

"Darling, Marcia called this afternoon. She has had several offers to run your story about your day with Susan."

"Good, maybe people will learn how to treat people with limitations".

He held her till she fell asleep, and both of them slept really well for the first time in a long time.

***The next day***

Jonathan woke up when the alarm went off, and snuggled Jennifer a little tighter.

A few minutes later, they were both awake and getting ready.

She put on some loose, comfortable clothing, and put her hair in a ponytail.

They met her dad downstairs in the lobby at 9:30 and arrived at the place by 10.

She got all checked in and they were taken to her room.

The dr. came in to speak with them.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Martinez".

"HI Dr. This is Jonathan, my fiance".

They shook hands.

Dr. Martinez briefly explained the procedure to them.

"We are going to take a nerve from between her ribs as the donor nerve. Procedure should only take about 2 or 3 hours but could go longer if it needs too. Afterwards, she will be taken to recovery and given a medicine to bring her out of the sedation. Once that happens, she will be discharged. You will need to stay in the area for the next 48 hours just in case there are any complications. After the 48 hours passes, you can return home".

He gave her several sheets on aftercare instructions.

"How soon can I eat or drink something?"

"Tonight. A milkshake will be your best friend after this is over with".

"How soon will Jennifer be able to tell if this was successful?"

"Well every patient is different, but if the preliminary testing is good, typically in about 2 weeks".

He handed her the script for the immunosuppressants and then told her the nurse would be in to prep her.

Jonathan came over and climbed into the bed with her.

She leaned back against him and he kissed her head a few times.

She turned to look at her father.

"Are you going to be able to make it to our wedding?"

"Yes, I am. I booked my room and everything. I'll arrive on Thursday, and I'll fly back out on Sunday".

"Wonderful. We want you to come to the house and have dinner with us Thursday night".

"I would love that. Your aunts and uncles will be with me".

"Yay! I can't wait to see them".

"They can't wait to see you either, you are their pride and joy".

The nurse came in to prep her for surgery.

Jonathan kissed her and then climbed out of the bed.

She slipped her ring off and handed it to him.

"For safekeeping".

He sat by her and held her hand and then the nurse came to take her to the operating room.

Stephen came over and kissed her goodbye.

"I love you, Pa".

"I love you too".

She teared up.

Jonathan leaned down and kissed her a few times.

"I love you and I'll be right here when you get back".

"I love you too".

"Pa, don't talk Jonathan's ear off about politics".

"We'll be fine, Jennifer".

They took her to surgery. Jonathan and Stephen decided to head to the cafeteria.

"Son, I just want you to know that I appreciate you looking after my Jennifer and loving her like you do. It's clear that you two were made for each other."

"Thank you, I feel the same way. I can't imagine my life without her".

"Jennifer told me you bought her a house".

"I did. It's absolutely beautiful. But I'm afraid if this doesn't work and she doesn't regain the use of her legs, we will have to sell it and that's going to devastate her".

"Son, the trick with Jennifer is getting her to accept it. She shies from accepting things at times, but once she does, she tends to buckle down and make the best of it. If you give her an alternative, that usually helps as well".

"Her stubbornness is one of the things I love most about her".

"She gets it honestly, I assure you".

They took their food back to her room and found a baseball game on the television.

About 3 hours later, the nurse came in.

"Miss Edwards is in recovery and she will be brought back here in about an hour".


	38. Chapter 38

They wheeled Jennifer in about an hour later. She was very loopy.

Jonathan leaned down to kiss her.

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

"I have no idea".

He chuckled at her.

She puckered her lips for a kiss and he gave her another one.

"You're very good at that".

"Well thank you".

He helped her sit up and then closed the curtain around her bed so he could help her get dressed again.

The doctor came in a few minutes later and pulled Jonathan and Stephen aside.

"So, we did some preliminary testing. Unfortunately, it looks as if this wasn't a successful procedure."

"How can you tell?"

"After we stitched her up, we did another injection test and when we light up the nerves that are working, that one didn't light up. Typically, in these cases, the parts of the nerves that are still working will still light up. Hers didn't."

"I see. So, assuming you are right, and assuming this wasn't successful, what's her next step?"

"I'm afraid I don't see one for her. She might not ever regain full mobility in her legs".

"Thank you, doctor".

Jonathan returned to Jennifer and found that she had fallen back asleep.

After she was discharged, he picked her up and put her in the wheelchair.

The nurse came and wheeled her out, and Jonathan lifted her and put her in the car again.

They headed back to the hotel, stopping to get her a Neapolitan milkshake.

"Well, we will see you tomorrow, Stephen".

"Call me if you need me, son".

Jonathan wheeled her up to their room and got her settled into bed. He undressed her and put a nightgown on her and then let her have her milkshake. 5 minutes later, she was done and back asleep.

He changed into his pajama pants and laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"We tried, baby. We really did".

***3 days later***

Jennifer and Jonathan were back in Los Angeles. Jonathan had told her what the doctor said. She hadn't taken it very well.

Jonathan was packing his suitcase to go on his business trip.

"Now darling, Max will be here with you, and you can call Susan if you need something. I'll call you every night and every morning. And I'll be home before you know it".

"I love you".

He leaned down and kissed her.

"I love you too".

She spent the rest of the day working on an article. Jonathan texted her when he landed.

" _I love you, I'm in Texas. How about Paris for our honeymoon?"_

" _I love you too. Paris has too many steps"._

The phone rang then, so she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Jennifer, hi. It's Susan. I was calling to see if you wanted to have dinner tonight?"

"Sure, that sounds nice. How about Mexican?"

"Yum. I'll pick you up at 6".

"Great, see you then".

Susan arrived right on time and picked her up. Jennifer decided to be brave and only take her hand poles with her and not the chair.

"I want you to know, I contacted the CEO of the boutique and we had a long chat. They violated ADA and all kinds of other statutes in how they treated you that day. The CEO apologized and promised it would be addressed at all their locations, not just this one. I also contacted L'Orangerie and told them that if that's how they were going to treat those with limitations, they can give my regular table to someone else".

"Thank you. I agree. I wrote an article on it, retelling the entire experience from my point of view, and then from yours. My editor called and said that it's going to be published in a few different magazines".

Jennifer filled her in over dinner about the nerve procedure.

"I'm shocked you weren't a candidate for a donor nerve".

"Well, I'm not. My mother died when I was 12, and I inherited more of her genes and traits than I did my father's. Apparently, that includes blood and tissue and nerves as well".

After they finished eating, Susan dropped her back home.

"Are you going to be home this weekend?"

"Yes, I am".

"Great. Maybe I'll come see you on Sunday".

"I would love that. Jonathan is out of town till next Thursday, so it will be fun to have some company".

***Sunday***

Jennifer was laying on the recliner in the den. She had the tv on, but she wasn't really paying attention. She was texting Jonathan and drinking a glass of chardonnay.

" _Fiji?"_

" _Too far of a flight. How about Cancun?"_

" _Too dangerous. What about a train trip across Canada?"_

" _That's an idea. So is Turks and Caicos. I've always wanted to go to the Turks and Caicos"._

The doorbell rang so Max volunteered to get it.

" _Someone's at the door darling. I love you"._

" _Love you too"._

Max came in to the living room followed by Susan and a bunch of their friends.

"Surprise!"

"Hi. What's all this?"

"Well, we couldn't very well let you and Jonathan get married without some sort of fanfare. And since we didn't feel like you would be up for a bachelorette party, we decided to bring the wedding shower to you".

"That's very thoughtful of you guys, thank you".

They all sat down around her.

"Susan told us you had surgery. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It wasn't successful, but I'm fine".

"Where's Jonathan?"

"He's on a business trip. He will be home next Thursday".

"Well, we brought pizza and beer, and a salad, and we are going to hang out with you and shower you like a bride should be showered".

"You guys are so nice. I can't believe you want to spend time with me".

"Are you kidding? We are so excited for your wedding. We can't wait to see how beautiful you look".

"Well, it's going to be a little different of a wedding this time. I had pinned all my hopes on this last operation that I would be able to walk down the aisle. And I can't. And the venue has a cobblestone aisle, so I have to use my wheelchair, not my hand poles. And that also means I don't get to dance with my husband, either."

"Jennifer, it's going to be ok".

"I'm so scared."

"Scared of what?"

"That my wedding will be like the day you and I went shopping".

"Oh, I'm sure it won't be. Those people didn't know you. Your wedding will be full of people who love you and Jonathan".

"I was supposed to write my vows today. All I can think to say is 'sorry you got stuck with a wife with 2 wheels instead of 2 legs".

"Ok, I know what this party needs. Party games".

They broke out the cards and played a few hands of poker and rummy and managed to lift Jennifer's spirits a little.

"So, tell us what the wedding will be like".

"Well, our colors are orchid, black and silver. So, Jonathan is wearing a gray suit with a black shirt and orchid tie. I'm wearing my dress. My dad is pushing me down the aisle, and then we have the ceremony, and then at the reception, we are doing the wedding cake, tossing the bouquet, the garter, and then leaving. We were supposed to have several dances but since I can't, that part has been cut out".

"Have you picked a honeymoon?"

"Not officially. We were discussing that by text when you guys got here. He suggested a train trip through Canada and I'm ok with that. I suggested Turks and Caicos, I've always wanted to go there".

"Are you going to have any attendants?"

"No, we decided we wanted it to be just us up there. We were supposed to stand on this stage that's a couple steps up, but I can't get up there, so now we are standing under something".

"I'm sure it will be beautiful. And what matters is that at the end of the ceremony, you will be Mrs. Jonathan Hart".

"Yeah, I know. I'm trying to see the good in everything, but it's so hard. I had such a clear picture in my head of what I wanted our wedding and reception to look like".

"Have you told Jonathan how you feel?"

"Yes, many times. He just keeps telling me it's ok. I think he has a touch of guilt".

"What on earth could he feel guilty about?"

"Well, we were in New York, and I stepped into the street to pick up something I dropped and there was a bus coming. He saw it, I didn't and he pushed me out of the way. He was only hit by part of the bus. I fell into a fire hydrant and landed at a weird angle on the pavement. So, I think he blames himself for what happened to me. But the doctor told him that given my small stature if the bus had hit me, I wouldn't have survived".

"I had no idea. Now it all makes sense, how both of you got injured".

She nodded.

"Well, I say you will be the prettiest bride ever, regardless of whether you are sitting or standing".

They all agreed with Susan.

She opened the gifts they had brought her, and then they just hung out.

Everyone stayed till 10 or so, and then started to leave.

"Thanks for coming by, I'll see all of you at the wedding".

"We love you, we will see you soon".

She headed straight to bed after they all left. As soon as she was settled into bed, she called Jonathan.

"Hi darling".

"Hi."

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah, I guess. Susan and the girls just left, and I just climbed in this big lonely bed".

"Yeah, my bed is lonely too".

"Are you sure you can't come home till Thursday?"

"I'm positive, darling. If I could, I would".

They chatted a little longer and then she hung up and went to bed.

She dreamed of running a race all night long.

***The next morning***

Jennifer got up early and did 2 hours of lap swimming. Afterwards, she came into the workout room and worked on balancing. She managed to up her balancing time to another minute longer. The physical therapist came and did her stretches and exercises with her and put her on the balance bike.

"Would it be possible for you to come every day this week?"

"Yes, I think we can arrange that".

"Thank you".

After the physical therapist left, Jennifer kept working herself, doing the inversion table, the balancing exercises and the motorized bike. Around 3, she used the hand poles to get herself to the shower. She decided to not use the shower chair and to try and balance in the shower instead. She braced herself against the wall and took her shower.

Afterwards, she climbed into bed and took a nap.

She woke around 8 for dinner and found that Max had left to go to a poker game.

She was in the kitchen, throwing together a salad, when one of the cans of veggies fell off the counter and onto her foot.

"Ow!", she cried out as soon as it hit her.

She bent over and picked it up and then put it on the counter. And then it hit her. She had _felt_ the can hit her foot. A slow smile spread across her face. She decided to throw caution to the wind and not use the hand poles to get around the kitchen. It wasn't normal movements, but she managed. She was so proud of herself she could hardly stand it.

She spent the rest of the night texting Jonathan and researching what this meant. She decided not to tell Jonathan till he got home. She wanted to show him, not tell him.

She stayed up till 11 researching and then headed to bed, her mind so full of information, she could hardly sort it out.

***Middle of the night***

Jennifer woke up and realized that her back was throbbing. She grabbed her hand poles, made her way to the kitchen for some Aleve, and then went straight back to bed.

***Thursday***

Jonathan's plane landed around 4 and he headed straight to the house.

"Darling?"

"In here".

He found her lying in bed working on her laptop.

"Oh, I missed you".

He came over and kissed her a few times and then hugged her for a few minutes.

"I missed you too".

"What did you do while I was gone?"

"Well, I had physical therapy every day. And I swam laps in the pool for about 2 hours each day. And I worked on my balancing".

"Wonderful".

"Is your father still coming to dinner tonight?"

"No, the flight he and my aunts were on was rebooked to tomorrow morning".

"What a shame".

"Honey, we need to talk about the wedding".

He sighed. "I know".

"So, we have the rehearsal tomorrow night, and my father will be here tomorrow afternoon. We need to make reservations somewhere for dinner afterwards, just you, me, Pa, Max, and my aunts and uncles."

"Got it".

"And you and Max are going to find somewhere to stay tomorrow night".

"No, Jennifer. I don't think that's a good idea".

"Jonathan, you and I can't stay together the night before our wedding! It's bad luck for you to see me the next morning, and lord knows we've had enough of our share of bad luck recently. It's time to turn the tide".

"I don't want you to stay alone".

"I'll be fine. I promise".

"Ok, but I'm sending a limo to bring you to the venue".

"It's a deal. And you and Max need to take my car so that we can use it to leave the venue".

"What time do we have to be there?"

"12, on Saturday. Wedding starts at 4".

"I have a few surprises in store for you, Miss Edwards".

"I have a few surprises in store for you as well". She leaned over and kissed him.

"Darling, I booked our honeymoon. And I told them about your situation, and they told me that everything is wheelchair accessible. But there are some excursions that you won't be able to go on".

"Oh, that's ok. I just want to relax with you, darling".

"Well, that is definitely on the agenda".

She scooted back against him and put her hand on his chest.

"How were your meetings?"

"Good, actually. I was very impressed with each of the plants, and I think it might actually have been a good sound investment on our part".

"Good, I'm glad to hear that".

They spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and looking forward to the wedding.

As they climbed into bed that night, she kissed him goodnight like always.

"I cannot wait to marry you, Mr. Hart".

"I cannot wait to marry you, Miss Edwards".


	39. Chapter 39

***Friday***

Jonathan got up early and headed to the office to tie up some loose ends before the wedding.

Jennifer was going to focus on packing her suitcase for the honeymoon while he was gone.

Max came in around 10 a.m.

"Miss Edwards, the physical therapist is here."

"Thanks, Max. Also, can you go upstairs and get my wedding dress out of the guest room closet?"

"Certainly".

"Thank you".

The physical therapist helped her do the exercises and stretches and really tired her out.

"Ok, we are going to be on our honeymoon for the next couple of weeks. So I will call and schedule you when we get back".

"Sounds good. Have a good time".

"Thank you".

Stephen's plane landed around 4 and he called to tell her that he would meet them at the rehearsal.

Jennifer put on a knee length white dress and curled her hair and made sure her makeup was flawless. She was all ready when Jonathan got home.

"Hi darling".

"Hi baby".

He leaned down to kiss her.

"I went and picked up our wedding bands today. I bought you a couple to choose from. Whichever ones you don't like, we can return".

She decided on the straight diamond band instead of the curved one.

"Ok, baby, we gotta go".

She wheeled herself to the car and got herself in. Jonathan put her chair in the back.

Max was driving the station wagon to go pick up her dad.

Jennifer and Jonathan linked hands and drove to the rehearsal.

Pa and Max were waiting for them, as were her aunts and uncles.

"Hi sweetheart. You look so pretty!"

"Hi Pa!"

He leaned down and hugged her.

"Hi aunt Ginny and Aunt Beth!"

"Hi sweet girl! We are glad to see you out and about".

"Me too".

They went through the rehearsal a few times and got everything exactly like they wanted it.

Afterwards, Jonathan treated everyone to dinner at a restaurant nearby.

They had a lovely dinner, and Stephen formally welcomed Jonathan to the family.

"Son, it's like you've always been a member of our family. We are so glad to have you".

"Thank you. I'm delighted to marry this wonderful woman tomorrow".

Afterwards, they headed home and promised they would see everyone at 12 tomorrow.

Jonathan drove her home and then packed his bags.

"Ok darling. The limo driver knows to help you with your wheelchair tomorrow. And Deanne, at the office, her sister is a hairdresser. She is going to meet you at the inn and do your hair and makeup. I paid her today, so she should be good to go."

"Do we have someplace to stay tomorrow night?"

"Yes, I booked that today as well".

"Wonderful".

She used her hand poles to follow him to the kitchen.

She leaned against the counter while he put his bags in the car.

"You got your suit, and your tie and handkerchief?"

"Yes, I do".

"Wonderful. Our last night to spend apart before we are married".

"I know. I can't wait to marry you".

"Baby, I know that we had an idea of what our wedding should be like and now it's going to be a little different. I promise you, as long as I get to marry you, I'm happy with whatever it turns out to be".

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with lots of passion. She nibbled on his lower lip some, and did that thing with her tongue that he loved.

"I love you, Jonathan Charles".

"I love you too Jennifer Suzanne".

A few kisses later, and he and Max were out the door.

Jennifer poured herself a glass of chardonnay and went to watch a movie in the bedroom.

She fell asleep about half way through, and dreamed all night of marrying Jonathan.

***Saturday***

Jonathan called and woke her up around 10.

"Good morning Miss Edwards".

"Good morning, Mr. Hart".

"Want to get married today?"

"I think I can work that into my schedule".

"Great. I'll see you in a few hours, babe. I love you".

"I love you too".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone and got up and started getting ready.

The limo driver arrived precisely at 11:30, and loaded her bags into the car. She wheeled herself to the car and climbed in, and then collapsed her chair. He put it in the trunk for her and they headed on their way.

While they drove along, she thought about their relationship from beginning to end. How far he had come in terms of opening up, how far she had come in not letting her temper get the best of her, and how they had so far overcome everything that had been thrown their way. She loved him more than she ever thought possible, and she knew that no matter what, she could never love anyone as much as she loved him.

They pulled up to the venue and she got out and into her chair.

She wheeled herself inside while one of the employees pulled her luggage cart behind her.

The hairstylist was there to do her hair and makeup. Jennifer's aunts came in to help her get ready. They were impressed by how long she could balance.

"I'm getting stronger every day".

"That's so wonderful".

Her dress was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline. It had a beaded bodice that sparkled and shimmered and had a mermaid waistline. The skirt was ruffled just a slight bit. She looked absolutely amazing.

"Ok, so your something new is your dress. Do you have something old?"

"Yes, I have the tennis bracelet Mama left me".

"Something borrowed?"

"I don't think so".

"Here-these earrings were your grandmother's. You can borrow them".

"Thank you".

"Now, something blue?"

Jennifer pulled up her dress to reveal that her shoes were royal blue flats.

"Oh, how beautiful! And what a creative idea".

Once they made sure she had her something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, they wheeled her outside to take some photos, making sure that Jonathan wasn't able to see her at all.

The photographer agreed to work with Jennifer so that her wheelchair wasn't in the pictures.

They decided not to do a first look, but rather to do a photo where they were sitting together but he was blindfolded.

"Are you nervous, darling?"  
"Not a bit. I know for a fact that if you are at the altar, I'll be alright".

"Same here".

"I am going to make you so happy, darling."

"You already do. I don't think it's possible for anyone to be happier than I am".

They shared a few sweet kisses and then Jonathan was taken back to the groom's room.

Her flowers were absolutely perfect. Sterling roses, white gardenias, and purple orchids were all in a bouquet mixed with purple gladiolus. The altar had several arrangements of orchids and sterling roses and gardenias and gladiolus on either side. There was a vine of orchids hanging off the top.

Max brought her a wrapped box.

"Here, Miss Edwards, it's from Mr. H."

"Thanks, Max. Can you take him this?"

She handed him a wrapped present of her own.

She opened his present and found a gorgeous silver necklace, with a drop-down pearl and a silver disc. On the back of the silver disc was engraved "Today I marry my best friend" and the date. Jennifer teared up and immediately put it on.

Max brought Jonathan his gift.

"How is she Max?"

"A bundle of nerves, Mr. H. But she looks absolutely gorgeous. She sent you this".

His present was a new silver watch with a black leather band. On the back was engraved "I pick you for the rest of my life", their initials mixed together-JHJ, and the date.

Her aunts and the hairdresser helped her get her veil into place. She had picked a sparkly hair clip to attach the veil to. She was wearing one that just covered her face and that was it.

The ceremony started right on time.

Jonathan walked down the center aisle to "How Sweet It is (To be loved by you).

Then, it was Jennifer and Stephen's turn. Jennifer filled her father in on what she had planned. He had reservations, but didn't stop her.

He pushed her to the door, and everyone stood up.

"Isn't She Lovely" started playing when the doors opened.

Jennifer put her foot pedals up and stood up.

He stepped forward and gave her his arm, and they walked all the way down the aisle.

Jonathan teared up and didn't even try to hide it.

Everyone clapped for her when she got to the altar. Max discreetly went and got her chair and took it to the back.

Everyone sat back down again and the minister took over.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of this man and this woman. Is there anyone here who objects to this union? If so, speak now or forever hold your peace".

Nobody spoke up.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"Her mother and I".

Stephen kissed her cheek and then pushed her veil backwards and then handed her to Jonathan.

"Jennifer and Jonathan would like to start the ceremony with a moment of silence and remembrance of Miss Pamela Chandler."

The moment of silence lasted exactly a minute and then the minister spoke again.

"Jonathan, is it your intention to take Jennifer to be your wife?"

"Yes, it certainly is".

"Jennifer, is it your intention to take Jonathan as your husband?"

"Oh yes".

"Jennifer and Jonathan have elected to write their own vows. Jonathan, you may begin".

He leaned forward to whisper in Jennifer's ear.

"Can you stand up this long, do you need to sit?"

"I'm fine".

He took a deep breath.

"I don't know where to start. When I met you, I was lost and on the fence, so to speak. I was so lost I couldn't even tell that I was lost, because everything I had hoped for had been taken from me and I was convinced that I didn't deserve and wouldn't get another chance. And then I met you. And you have taught me that not only is it ok for me to be happy, you have taught me how to be happy again. You pulled me off the fence and I'm so thankful you did. Some of my most favorite times with you are the simplest moments-like when we drove to dinner and you convinced me that turning on the radio would be ok. And we've gotten through a lot, you and me. Losing everything taught me to hold on to what's special to me. I promise to always take care of you and give you whatever you want and to make sure you always have whatever you need. I promise to listen to you, and hold you during a thunderstorm, and to always remember that you love surprises. Although I should warn you now, no surprises I can ever give you will be as good as the one you just gave me. I know for a fact that Pam sent you to me and I am grateful not only for that, but also for the fact that you didn't push me away. I cannot promise that I will love you for the rest of your life; however, I promise that I will love you with my whole heart for every second of every day for the rest of my life".

Jennifer let go of his hand to wipe the tears away.

She placed her flowers on the pedestal next to the minister and then took his hands again.

"Jonathan, when I met you, I could tell right away what a special person you were, and I knew that no matter what, we would always be friends. And it took some time for us to get on the same page. I'm grateful for that, because we used that time to get to know each other. And when we finally were on the same page, I knew that you were the one. You made falling in love so easy, and also a slight bit terrifying. But with great risk comes great reward, and this was no exception. You somehow managed to make falling in love with you as simple as breathing, and you haven't ceased to put me first. I may not have liked the way you did it, but you have always put me first. You never cease to make me feel beautiful, loved, taken care of, or important. Together, you and I faced our biggest hurdle yet, and instead of tossing me aside, you accepted it and embraced it before I did. You have been my biggest supporter this whole time and I am so lucky to know that I will have you all to myself for the rest of our lives. When we got engaged, you mentioned finding your best friend. Today, we take it one step further. I wasn't fortunate enough to meet Pam, but I'm so thankful that she sent you to me. I'm so lucky to have you as my forever best friend. I'm so glad you are the one who challenges me, teases me, comforts me, and loves me more than I deserve. I love you, and I promise you, you will always know that. And now, I'm the lucky one, because one of the perks of being Mrs. Jonathan Hart is that I can kiss you anytime I want".

"Ok, now it's time for the rings. Jonathan, take Jennifer's ring and place it on her finger and repeat after me. I Jonathan, take you Jennifer, to be my lawful wife. May this ring forever be to you a symbol of my undying love".

"I Jonathan, take you Jennifer to be my lawful wife. May this ring forever be to you a symbol of my undying love".

"Jennifer, place Jonathan's ring on his finger and repeat after me".

"I Jennifer, take you Jonathan, to be my lawful husband. May this ring forever be to you a symbol of my undying love".

"By the powers vested in me by God and the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jonathan, you may kiss your bride".

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately.

"Can you walk back up the aisle?"

"I think so".

They walked back up the aisle to "The Best of My Love".

The minister announced that the reception was just inside the Great Hall, and that Jonathan and Jennifer wanted everyone to stay and celebrate with them.

Jennifer and Jonathan walked into the bridal suite when they got to the end of the aisle.

"You really surprised me, Mrs. Hart".

"That was my intention".

"Tell me everything".

"I've only known for a few days that the feeling in my legs was coming back. I decided I wanted to give it a shot this morning when I woke up. I practiced walking back and forth in our bedroom this morning and realized I could do it".

"I'm so proud of you".

He gave her a couple kisses then.

"I still have to go slow, but I don't think that will last forever".

"We can go as slow as you need to".

Stephen came in to the room then, followed by Max.

"Sweetheart, when did you get your legs back?"

"Earlier this week the feeling came back. Movements came back yesterday and today".

"Wonderful! I'm so happy for you".

He gave her a big hug and kiss.

"I'm happy for you too, Miss Edwards".

"Thank you, Max".

"Max, she's not Miss Edwards".

"That's right. I'm not".

"Oh yeah. So, is it ok if I call you Mrs. H.?"

"I would love it".

The photographer came and got them and took them for some pictures. There was a big swing outside. Jonathan picked her up and put her on it and they got some lovely shots of him pushing her.

"Darling, before we go out of the country tomorrow, will you agree to let Susan check you out? I just don't want us to fly off somewhere if your body isn't fully healed yet".

"Fine. But only if you go with me".

"You got it".

"So, since I can walk now, you owe me a dance, sailor".

"You can have as many dances as you want".

After all the photographs were taken, they headed to their reception.

On the table with the guest book was a framed photo that Jennifer had done to surprise Jonathan. It said "August 28-the first day, December 25- the 'yes' day, and May 20- the best day". Next to that was a lovely picture of the two of them from Barbados.

"Ladies and Gentlemen-Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hart".

Everyone clapped for them as they walked in. He let Jennifer set the pace so as not to push her.

They walked up to the stage and Jonathan took the microphone. Jennifer was right next to him.

"I just wanted to take a minute to toast my beautiful wife. Can someone bring us a glass of something?"

The waiter brought them two glasses of champagne.

"For those of you that aren't aware why this is such a very special day, this wonderful woman was in New York on a book tour, and we had a little accident. She got injured the worst and has fought her way back ever since. Almost 2 weeks ago, we flew to Phoenix. Her father found a clinic that specialized in nerve surgeries and nerve replacements. She underwent a nerve replacement surgery and at the end, the doctor told us that it wasn't successful. He told us that she didn't have any options left. So, we returned home thinking that she would be destined to live life with limitations. Today, she proved that in her world, limitations are just suggestions and like with everything else, she blew those suggestions out of the water. She surprised me with being able to walk down the aisle and it was the greatest surprise ever. I have a feeling that married life with her will involve her keeping me on my toes. To my gorgeous wife".

They all toasted her and then took a sip. He leaned over and kissed her and then handed the microphone back to the DJ.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Hart are going to share their first dance as husband and wife".

He led her to the middle of the dance floor. "It Had to Be You" started to play as they danced together.

"Darling, what were your surprises to me?"

"Well, when you got to the altar, I was going to have Max bring a chair over so that I could sit while we took our vows, so you wouldn't feel out of place".

She kissed him.

"That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard".

They went through the rituals-cutting the cake, linking arms while they drank champagne, tossing the bouquet and garter.

At the end of the evening, they were both tired and ready to go.

They shared one more dance to "At Last".

Jonathan and Jennifer went to the bridal suite and gathered her things. He loaded her bags up on the cart and began to carry them out when Stanley stopped him.

"I'm sorry sir, they have decorated the car and you can't see it yet. So, let me take those for you and I'll pull the car around".

"Ladies and gentlemen, our bride and groom are going to leave, so if we could form two lines outside, the wedding toss will begin momentarily."

"Jonathan, take care of my daughter now. I'm counting on you".

"She's in wonderful hands, sir, I assure you".

"I'll call you when we get home, Pa. I promise".

"Very well sweetheart".

She kissed his cheek and then went to say goodbye to her aunts.

They walked outside and everyone tossed sparkly confetti squares on them in orchid, silver, and black.

Their car was adorable. Streamers were hanging off each side mirror, and strings of beer cans were hanging off the back. A "Just Married" sign was hanging across the trunk. The entire car was filled with packing peanuts.

He helped her into the car and then they posed for a couple more pictures.

"Ok, now it's time for Mr. Hart to tell Mrs. Hart where they are going on their honeymoon".

Everyone was quiet as he got in the car.

"Want to go to the Turks and Caicos, baby?"

She leaned over and kissed him and threw her arms around his neck.

They drove off into the night, Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hart.


	40. Chapter 40

As they drove towards their hotel, they were deciding what to do.

"Darling, I'm starving. Do you want to stop and get something?"

"If you do".

After they picked up food for both of them, they headed to their hotel.

Jennifer was elated that they were staying at the Hollywood Palms.

"Susan agreed to see us at 12. Jack is flying us right after that".

"Great".

Jennifer got her hand poles out and used them to get to their room.

"Darling, I thought you were fine".

"I am. My legs are just a little tired, I think I overdid it, that's all".

Everyone clapped for them as they came into the hotel. The hotel gave them a complimentary bottle of champagne.

They got to their room and put their luggage down.

Jennifer slipped her dress off and went to change while Jonathan took his tux off.

Jennifer slipped on a short white nightgown with lace edges. It was shimmery and see through, and she knew it would drive Jonathan crazy.

She put on the matching robe and then came and joined him.

He fed her a French fry and leaned over and kissed her.

They chatted about the wedding and Jennifer declared it to have been exactly what she wanted it to be all along.

As soon as they were done eating, they climbed under the covers.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around her.

"You are so beautiful".

"Thank you".

He crushed her lips with his and pulled her closer.

He gently rolled her on top of him and she carefully straddled his waist.

He untied her robe and pushed it off her shoulders.

"You like?"

"I love it".

He swiftly pulled the nightgown off over her head.

He rolled them till she was on her back again and settled on top of her.

"Am I hurting you?"

"Not a bit".

He let her take his pajama top off him and kissed her while she did.

He leaned down and kissed her nipples and then kissed his way to her bellybutton.

He slowly peeled her boyshort thong off her body and then spent a few minutes sucking on her toes.

"Mmmm".

He laced his fingers through hers with both hands and then kissed his way back up to her lips.

He quickly entered her and began rocking his hips forward towards hers.

She matched his hip motions with hip motions of her own and tightened her muscles to maximize the pleasure.

"Oh baby, you feel so good".

"You feel wonderful too".

He held her face with his hands and kissed her as they exploded in ecstasy together.

As they calmed down, he held her and gave her light kisses.

"That was the best sex we've ever had".

"You are what made it great, darling".

"How do you feel?"

"Good. I can't explain to you how wonderful it feels to be able to draw my knees up, or to be able to cross them. And to be able to feel you touch me, everywhere".

"I'm so glad you are recovering. I guess the nerve transfer worked after all".

"Yeah, I guess it did. And the best part is, you get a normal wife, not a limited one".

"As long as you are my wife, I'm good, baby".

They made love a few more times and then fell asleep together.

***The next morning***

Jonathan and Jennifer had breakfast in bed, and then made love again before getting up and getting ready.

They headed to Susan's office so she could examine Jennifer.

She put her through some range of motion exercises and took some x-rays.

"I think you won the war, sweetie. I see nothing wrong with your mobility. However, you need to remember that you are still healing. So, if you get tired, don't push yourself."

"Can I start running again?"

"Slowly, yes. No marathons or 5k's just yet".

"This might seem silly, but will the nerve transfer keep me from being able to have a child?"

"I don't see why it would. But I wouldn't try for a child while you are on immunosuppressants".

Jennifer nodded.

"Now you two go and have a wonderful honeymoon. Have a blast".

"Thank you".

Jennifer carefully walked out of the exam room and out to the car while Jonathan settled up with Susan.

They headed to the airport, stopping to pick up lunch from Jennifer's favorite salad place on the way.

Jack was waiting for them when they pulled up.

"Allow me to do the honors, ma'am?"

"Jack, Jennifer has a surprise for you". He turned towards Jennifer.

"Go ahead darling".

Jennifer grabbed her bag and put it on her shoulder.

She carefully climbed out of the car, and then used her hand poles to balance. She handed the hand poles to Jonathan, leaned over to kiss him and grazed his jaw with her fingertips before climbing the steps of the plane all on her own.

Jack stood there with his mouth open.

"When did that happen? I thought she was-"

"We did too. And we thought she was always going to be that way. But apparently, we were wrong. It happened just this week".

They boarded the plane and Jonathan took his seat next to her.

Jack came over and kissed her cheek.

"I'm so happy for you".

"Thank you, Jack. I'm pretty ecstatic myself".

They had a pretty easy flight to Turks and Caicos. Jennifer read some while Jonathan watched a movie. She also slept part of the way on his shoulder.

When it got dark outside, they reclined their seats and snuggled up together and slept for a couple of hours.

They landed just before sunrise and took a shuttle to their resort.

For the next two weeks, they had the time of their lives-swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, laying in the sun, and being newlyweds whenever they had the chance.

On their last day, they took a long, slow walk on the shore.

"Darling, now that we can live in our house, when do you want to move in there?"

"Well, we are contracted with the rental house for another 2 months. So why don't we take our time and move in slowly?"

"I love that".

"Darling, there's something I've been wanting to do, and I keep thinking about it. And I realized I don't want to do it alone, I want us to do it".

"What's that?"

"I want us to donate some money to the place in Phoenix. They gave you your independence back, and we owe them, darling."

"I completely agree. Whatever you want to donate is fine with me".

They went dancing for their last night, and then spent several hours having mad, passionate sex before heading to the airport.

They slept the entire flight home and woke up just before they landed.

Max met them at the airport.

"You two have a good time?"

"We had the best time".

"I have steaks and scallops and shrimp marinating for dinner".

"Sounds wonderful".

They pulled up to the house and Jonathan insisted on carrying her over the threshold.

"I love you, Mrs. Hart".

"I love you, Mr. Hart".

***The next day***

Jennifer woke up when Jonathan did.

"Darling, want to meet me for lunch today?"

"I would be delighted".

"Great, L'Orangerie at 11". She kissed him goodbye and headed to swim some laps in the pool.

She pulled up to the restaurant just before 11, and parked. She got her chair out and climbed in and wheeled herself to the door. Jonathan came in while she was waiting.

The host was the same one she and Susan had that day.

"Hello, Mr. Hart. How many?"

"2, please. And my regular table will be fine".

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hart but your regular table isn't available".

Jennifer stood up out of her wheelchair.

"Does this change things?"

The host was shocked.

Jonathan signaled to the owner to come over.

Jennifer glared at the host.

"Yes, Mr. Hart, how can I help you?"

"Your host has been discriminating against my wife".

"What do you mean?"

"What he means is that a couple of months ago, I was temporarily paralyzed in an accident. I came here with a friend a couple of weeks ago, in my wheelchair, and your host refused to seat me and my friend anywhere except the far back corner even though there were plenty of tables available. I was fortunate to recover the use of my legs, but decided to test your host today, and once again, he failed. He told my husband who usually sits at table 7 that it wasn't available."

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Hart".

"How dare you dismiss people just because they have limitations! You should be ashamed of yourself. If I wanted to, I could have my husband's legal team sue this establishment for ADA violations, discrimination, the whole bit. And I just might do that. In the meantime, I think my husband and I will take our business elsewhere".

Jonathan and Jennifer turned and left the restaurant.

"I'm so proud of you". He kissed her temple as they walked to the car.

They had a nice lunch at La Scala, and then Jennifer went home. She called Marcia to check in, and they spent some time catching up.

Jonathan got home at 5.

"Darling?"

"In here".

He came and found her at her desk in the bedroom.

"Hi".

"Hi darling". She stood up to kiss him.

She popped the top on some champagne and handed him a glass.

"Darling, the owner of L'Orangerie called me this afternoon. He fired the host and begged me to beg you to reconsider the lawsuit. He promised that his whole staff would be re-trained in ADA policies and that no discrimination of any kind would be tolerated".

"Good for him"

"What is the champagne for?"

"I called Marcia today, just to check in. Darling, she sold my piece on how not to treat the disabled to The New Yorker. I've never been published in that magazine before, but I've always wanted to be".

"Great Job, baby". He leaned over and kissed her.

***14 months later***

"Come on baby, you are so close. Just a little more and then it will be all over".

He held her hand as they counted to ten.

A few minutes later, the sweetest sound of a child's cry filled the room.

"Congratulations you two, you have a beautiful, healthy, baby boy".

Jonathan leaned over and kissed Jennifer.

The nurses got him all cleaned up and then brought him to her.

She cradled him in her arms and just stared at him.

"Hi, I'm your momma".

"And I'm your daddy".

"You're a lucky kiddo, you know that? You have the absolute best daddy in the entire world".

"And you have the most wonderful and beautiful mommy".

They took Jennifer and the baby to recovery.

"Darling, go find Max".

"Jonathan, in about an hour, she and the baby will be in room 424".

"I love you, I'll meet you there".

"I love you too".

He kissed her goodbye before they wheeled her away.

He found Max in the waiting room. He was sitting there with Jennifer's dad.

"We have a baby boy!"

"A boy? How wonderful!"

"Does he have a name yet?"

"Not yet. We kind of tossed 2 names around, but we haven't decided on one".

"Where is he now?"

"With Jennifer in recovery. We are going to be in room 424".

"We will meet you there, son".

Jonathan headed to the room, while Max and Stephen headed to the gift shop.

About an hour later, they wheeled Jennifer and the baby into the room and got her settled.

They ordered a second bed for Jonathan so he could stay with them.

"Darling, we need to come up with a name".

"I agree. So, let's see, we had talked about Jonathan Charles Hart, Jr."

"I don't really want to do that to a kid. I mean, if my parents were alive it would be different. But it's just me".

"Ok, so the other name we had talked about was Joshua".

"I like that".

"What do you want for a middle name?"  
"I don't know. How about Patrick?"

"Darling, what if we followed the pattern of your name, but changed it?"

"Changed it how?"

"Well, instead of Jonathan Charles Jr., he could be Joshua and his middle name could still start with C but would be different. You would pass down your initials to him, not your actual name".

"What a great idea. Let's see. I like Joshua Christopher, Joshua Campbell. Joshua Carter is nice too".

"I like those. But there's one I think I like better."

"What's that?"

"Well, Joshua will be his first name. But his middle name will be one that represents someone very special."

She looked at him for a moment.

"Chandler".

"I love that. It's perfect. Joshua Chandler Hart".

Jennifer kissed the baby and then kissed Jonathan.

"I think she would like it".

"I hope so".

"Ok buddy, if you like the name Joshua Chandler Hart, give us a sign".

Joshua opened his eyes, yawned, and stretched and put his fist in the air.

"I say that's a yes".

"I agree".

"We are going to have so much fun with you, buddy. You have no idea how much".

"I think he looks like you, darling".

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do".

Just then, Max and Stephen came in.

"Hi. Your grandpas are here".

"Hey little fella".

"This is your grandpa Stephen. And this is your grandpa Max. Pa, Max, this is Mr. Joshua Chandler Hart".

"Joshua, I love that. You can call me Papa, little buddy".

"And you can call me Pops."

She let her dad hold him for a minute.

"How was your delivery?"

"Painful, but worth it. My epidural never took".

"Oh my."

"I'm ok now though".

Jennifer turned to Jonathan.

"Darling, I'm starving. Can we order something?"

"Sure. How about Chinese?"

"I was thinking more like tacos".

"Wonderful idea. I will go get us some. El Fiesta ok?"

"Perfect. Extra guac on the side".

"You got it."

He kissed her goodbye and then headed out.

"Mrs. H., I'll come back and visit you two tomorrow. Pops has a hot date with the ace of spades".

"Have fun Max. We love you".

"I love you all too".

Jennifer tried to rest while her dad held Joshua and talked to him.

Jonathan got back a little while later with their dinner.

Stephen stayed till after they ate and then handed Joshua to Jennifer.

"Ok sweetheart. I'm headed to my hotel. I love you, I'll see you tomorrow. Joshua, try not to give your mom too hard of a time tonight".

Jennifer kissed her dad goodbye. Jonathan shook his hand.

"Thanks for coming".

"Ok, little man, it's just us. And we should probably tell you we don't have a clue what we are doing. We have never been parents before, you know. So, take it easy on us, ok? Now, as your mommy, I'm going to teach you all about manners and being a gentleman, and riding horses".

"And as your daddy, I'll teach you all about how to get girls, how to play poker, and how to skateboard down the stairs without falling".

"Jonathan! You can't teach him those things".

"Why not? Learning to play poker is a valuable lesson. And trust me, I skateboarded down the stairs at the orphanage hundreds of times and I'm still here. And who better to teach him how to get girls than his own dad?"

"Jonathan!"

"I got you, didn't I?"

"I'll give you that one. But I want our son to be a gentleman, not a juvenile delinquent".

"Ok, fair enough." He leaned down to Joshua.

"Sorry, buddy. I tried".

Jennifer chuckled.

"You know what I am the most excited about?"

"Middle of the night diaper changes?"

"Ha ha. You will get your fair share of those too, believe me. No, what I'm most excited about is that he is going to see the best way to treat a lady someday by watching how you treat me. And in my opinion, there is no better teacher for him to have".

"And I am excited that he will get to watch you and learn how to be selfless and giving. Those are probably my two favorite qualities about you, darling".

He leaned over and kissed her.

Joshua began to whimper a little, so Jennifer opened her gown and fed him.

"And that's the other part we love about Mommy-her smoking hot body".

"Jonathan! You are incorrigible".

She looked at Joshua.

"Daddy thinks he's a wise guy, yes he does".

Joshua ate like a champ, and then fell fast asleep.

"Darling, we should probably try and get some sleep while he does".

"Good idea".

He took the baby from her and gently placed him in the isolette and then went and changed into a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt.

He climbed back in bed with Jennifer and reclined his bed to match hers.

"Are you in any pain? Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm fine darling".

She scooted over and snuggled up to him.

"I love you, Mommy".

"I love you, Daddy".

And they lived happily ever after….


End file.
